


A Lesson in the Studies of Man

by Mo-Mouse (abyssmalDeath)



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, F/F, Fluff, M/M, One Night Stands, Slow Burn, Smut, Teacher-Student Relationship, temporary one-sided attraction
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-29
Updated: 2017-11-24
Packaged: 2018-08-27 16:28:02
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 20,746
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8408665
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/abyssmalDeath/pseuds/Mo-Mouse
Summary: Jesse is an Education Major failing spectacularly in his History course. Gabriel Reyes is his hard-ass teacher, and he does not approve of Jesse already failing his course. Queue Hanzo, the man that Gabriel wants Jesse to seek out for tutoring. Drunken hilarity ensues, as well as one-night stands that could lead to some further drama.





	1. Lesson One: Accept Failure

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Nox_Wicked](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nox_Wicked/gifts).



> So this is my latest attempt at a multi-chapter fic. I really hope y'all like this one, I've had some good reception on it so far! There are some important acknowledgements at the end, so enjoy for now!

Jesse McCree could easily argue that he was one of the smartest people in his class in community college. He was partial to the sciences and maths, but it wasn’t like he suffered in his other classes. At least, he didn’t until he reached Gabriel Reyes’s history class. He had never been a history buff but he never expected to fail so spectacularly at anything in his life. He received a whopping twenty-five on his first unit exam. 

“I have had people fail my class before,  _ niño _ , but I have never in fifteen years of teaching had anyone fail the first test. It wasn’t that hard. The next lowest grade was a sixty-five and that’s because he didn’t do the short response. Did you even study?” Gabriel gave him an incredulous look, hands out for emphasis. Jesse just rubbed the back of his neck, hunched in on himself as he shrugged. 

“ _ Lo siento, señor.  _ History really ain’t my thing, I guess,” he chuckled nervously. Mr. Reyes was an intimidating man, a decorated war vet if Jesse’s memory served him right. The numerous scars that were visible were reason enough to be afraid of him. Despite all of this, Jesse was attracted to him.. He watched Gabriel snort, dropping his hands back by his side before shaking his head. 

“No, it can be your ‘thing’ and it will be your ‘thing’ by the time you are finished with this semester. I will not have one of my students failing for being lazy. Starting tomorrow, I want you with a tutor. His name is Hanzo, he works in the library from noon to close, so I expect you to seek his help out. I’ll know if you don’t.” He gave him a pointed look before gathering up the pop quizzes from the class and heading out. 

If anyone asked, Jesse wouldn’t admit to staring at his teacher’s ass. 

“Man, I feel bad for his next class. Did you have to go and piss him off?” A familiar, teasing voice sounded behind him and he jumped, whirling to face a grinning Fareeha. He rolled his eyes, snorting and giving her a playful shove. 

“If his class wasn’t so damn hard I wouldn’a failed the test. What’d you get on it anyways, Farah?” He tilted his head, leaning back against the desk behind him. She rolled her eyes, waving her hand at him. 

“Seventy-eight. I will admit, it was a tough one, but even you should have been able to at least score a passing grade, Jesse. You know my mom will, as you like to put it, tan your hide if she finds out.” She gave him a devious grin and Jesse narrowed his eyes. 

“All right, you lil’ sneak. What do you want?” He reached for his wallet but she held up a hand, shaking her head. 

“I don’t want your nasty stripper money,  _ raei albaqar.  _ Why don’t you take a girl out for dinner Friday night?” She looped her arm through his and started heading for the cafeteria. He snorted, rolling his eyes but following her. 

“Lemme guess. Mama Amari is pressuring you about me again and you want to sate her for a lil’ while.” He grinned, looking down at her. Judging by the flush that highlighted her cheekbones, he was right. She huffed a little, digging her nails into his arm until he yielded, apologising quickly. 

“She likes you, Jesse. Thinks you’re a good man, whatever that may mean. I know she would accept me if I told her the truth, but she would also be crushed. I’m her little girl. Plus, I can get free meals out of this.” She laughed, waving away the heavy air that was starting to settle around them. Out of their small circle of friends, Jesse was the first to know about Fareeha’s relationship with Angela and, as such, the first person to demand being best man at their wedding when they got married. 

“Have you told her I bat for the other team yet?” He quirked an eyebrow, opening the glass door for her. She passed through, glancing over her shoulder with a smirk.

“That is your business to tell her, Jesse. Not mine. I will not be your shield from her fiery wrath.” Jesse was about to start whining and giving her the puppy dog face when a little blonde spitfire flung herself into Fareeha’s arms, squealing. Jesse cringed a little, making a show out of rubbing his ear. That earned him a punch courtesy of Angela.

“It ain’t like you’ve been gone for years, Angie. No need to squeal,” he mumbled in his defense.

“ _ Nein _ , but I am still stealing your lunch date,” she giggled, looping her arm through Fareeha’s where Jesse’s had been moments ago and nudging him out of the way. He huffed but nodded, taking a step back. 

“That’s fine. I’ll just go eat lunch alone. By myself. In the corner...” he sniffled, wiping away a fake tear. Fareeha didn’t look as amused as Angela did and she mouthed something that looked suspiciously like ‘I’ll kill you’ before dragging her girlfriend away. 

Left to his own devices, Jesse swiped his student ID through the card reader before going straight for the hamburgers. As always, the big German chef who went by Reinhardt was standing at the grill, singing some foreign song or another. Jesse wasn’t entirely convinced that his songs were even actual songs but he’d never gotten around to asking. As he approached, the bigger male whirled around and grinned widely. 

“Ah, hello Jesse! The usual today?” He turned back around as he spoke, already starting to prepare it. Jesse chuckled, combing his fingers through his hair and pushing it back. 

“You know it, old man.” He propped his elbows up on the counter, jutting his hip out a little as he stood there. He felt more than heard Reinhardt’s booming laughter.

“Old? You should respect your elders,” he teased, bringing Jesse a plate with two bacon cheeseburgers on it. He grinned, taking the plate happily and waving his hand a little.

“With burgers like yours, it’d be hard not to respect you,” he laughed, grabbing a couple scoops of fries and dropping them on his plate before he headed to the condiments. Once he had everything on his burgers, he grabbed a glass of Coca Cola and took a seat at the counter that overlooked the school's courtyard.

From this vantage point, it was easy to see anything and everything that happened in the small area. There weren’t that many people outside, seeing how cold it was today, but he did catch sight of a familiar-looking dark-haired teacher. Gabriel appeared to be in the midst of a conversation with Jack Morrison, the school’s Dean of Students. 

Briefly, Jesse wondered what the topic of conversation was. He didn’t have to wonder for long. Jack appeared to glance around before leaning up, whispering something in Gabriel’s ear all while smiling. He watched his shoulders shake with laughter before he turned his head, giving Jack a quick kiss. Blushing a little, Jesse went back to eating his food quickly and feeling like he just watched the most intimate encounter in the world.

Part of him was disappointed that  _ Jack _ was the kind of man Gabriel went for.

 

#####  ~*~

 

Five o’clock pm found him running frantically about his room trying to find his name tag. He had to be at the bar in ten minutes to set up for the evening shift and he could  _ not _ afford to be late again. Swearing, Jesse started digging through his laundry. His search turned fruitful when he found it attached to the vomit-stained shirt at the bottom of his laundry basket. Clipping it on, Jesse snatched up his phone and ran out the door.

“McCree! Am I glad to see you, man. I thought I was gonna end up working  _ another _ double. Don’t scare me like that,” Maverick groaned, throwing his towel down onto the bar. Jesse snorted, clocking in and heading over to stand where Maverick was.

“Don’t get your panties in a twist, Mav. Unlike you, I actually need this job,” he jabbed, starting to set up his well and his glasses. He made sure everything was stocked while Maverick snorted and leaned against the counter next to him.

“You’re just jealous that I can get a job as a stripper and you can’t. See ya later, McLoser.” Maverick pushed himself off the counter, ruffling Jesse’s hair as he passed. He growled, glaring after him as he fixed his hair. He couldn’t say he’d ever gotten along with his coworker. Glancing at the clock, Jesse steeled himself the evening rush. 

“Mr. McCree? I was not aware that you work here.” The Dean of Students’ voice startled him, causing him to nearly drop the glass he was rimming in salt for someone’s margarita. He swore colorfully, setting the glass safely on the counter as he started mixing up the drink. 

“Sup, Mr. Morrison? Didn’t peg you as a drinker,” he commented idly, pouring the vibrant green mix into the glass before sliding it to a younger gal with a wink. He grinned as she blushed and walked away to whisper excitedly with her friends. 

“I’m not-”

“Sorry about that, there was no close parking. Forgot how busy this place was and- McCree! Is this what you do when you’re supposed to be studying,  _ cabron _ ?” Gabriel appeared at Jack’s side and Jesse shrunk back, offering a sheepish smile and a wave in return. 

“Mr. Reyes, what a pleasant surprise! Tell ya what, first drink’s on the house. What’ll it be?” Jesse propped his elbows up on the bar and tried not to wither under Gabriel’s stare. Eventually, the man just sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. 

“Something strong for me, something fruity for Jack,” he grumbled, waving his hand. Jesse nodded and started to make a Sazerac for Gabriel and an Apple Martini for Jack. 

“Does Ana know you work in a bar, kid?” Jack inquired, resting his chin in his palm as Jesse worked. The latter of the two snorted, rolling his eyes as he slid Jack his apple martini. A couple minutes later, Gabriel had his drink in hand as well.

“I’m a grown man, Jack. Ain’t even her kid. But yes, she does know. You ‘n I both know that Farah wouldn’t be able to keep her mouth shut about it forever.” He offered a half-shrug, taking a few empty glasses from some patrons and whipping up new drinks for them upon request. He could have sworn that Gabriel was trying to burn holes into his head with how hard he was staring at him. 

“Look, man, could ya maybe stop staring at me? It’s givin’ me the creeps,” he groaned, turning to face Gabriel. The man just smirked before going back to his drink. His attention was quickly grabbed by a younger man with a shock of bright green hair waving enthusiastically at him. He didn’t look twenty one, so Jesse padded over to him. 

“I would like-”

“ID first, man. You look a lil’ young,” Jesse quipped, cutting him off effectively. Upon further examination, Jesse realized that the kid was one of the new exchange students, with fair skin and delectably full lips that immediately turned down into a pout upon being interrupted. He wondered how they tasted. 

“Why do I always get that? Look--here, it shows right here that I am twenty-two,” he groused, holding up an ID that was clearly not American. Rolling his eyes, the guy tapped the stripe of blue in the middle and Jesse was able to decipher that he was, in fact, only two years younger than himself.

“All right, sorry, dude. Don’t blame me, I jus’ don’t wanna get arrested for serving a minor.” He held his hands up defensively and the other man laughed, pushing his fingers through his hair. 

“Fair enough. Give me a mojito, please and thank you.” Jesse turned, gathering up what he would need before mixing up the drink. He returned, passing him the cocktail. He propped his chin up on his palm, grinning. This kid truly was stunning, if he were to be honest.

“Tell me your name and I’ll buy this one for ya.” He tapped the rim of the glass. He got a snort in return.

“You are very kind. I suspect you have other reasons for wanting to know my name, but I will tell you anyways. You may call me Genji.” That charming smile returned to his lips and Jesse had to check his pulse under the bar to make sure his heart was still beating. 

“Genji. Well darlin’, if you’re still around when I get off, what d’ya say to a little VIP after hour treatment?” He tilted his head, putting on his best grin. He could see a faint layer of color rise in Genji’s cheeks but the other man just nodded, taking a sip of his drink before humming. 

“We will see,” he purred in a manner that had Jesse almost completely certain that he would be seeing him after he got off. He smirked, going back to his duties and feeling oddly satisfied at the fact that one of his teachers just watched him score a one night stand. The man’s displeasure was obvious if the glare of his face was anything to go by. Jesse just snickered, going back to work with renewed vigor. 

 

#####  ~*~

 

“So this is where you live, huh? Not bad; it sure is a nice place for a bartender,” Genji hummed, running his fingertips along the fuzzy material of Jesse’s red blanket. Jesse chuckled, kicking his boots off by the door of his room before going to plop down on said bed. He beckoned for the other man to come closer. 

“You gonna kiss me? Or would you rather sit here talking about my decor all day?” he smirked, scooting back as Genji crawled to settle nicely between his knees. The younger man hummed, leaning forward to press a chaste kiss against his lips. They were as soft and kissable as Jesse originally thought. Grinning, he grabbed the other’s shirt collar and pulled him down into another kiss. 

He felt Genji hum above him before two hands were slid up under his shirt, tracing the contours of his abs and chest. It only took one impatient tug at the material before Jesse was sitting up, sliding the fabric up over his head and tossing it to the side. He leaned back against the pillows as the smaller man shifted to straddle his hips. Those hands returned to his chest as Genji leaned down to kiss him.

“Hairy. I like it.” Genji grinned against his lips as he brushed his fingertips lightly through the thin patch of hair that dusted Jesse’s chest. Jesse just snorted, rolling his eyes a little as he combed his fingers through the other man’s hair. Cupping the back of his neck, he pulled him down into a rough kiss that was all teeth and tongue as Genji moaned sweetly above him. A wandering hand found one of his nipples, drawing a gasp out of Jesse as the sensitive bud was pinched and rubbed ceaselessly. Every jolt of arousal went straight down his spine and to his groin.

Genji broke away from the kiss, leaving a trail of searing kisses down the side of Jesse’s neck as he sucked a hickey or two into the skin there, marking him. The thought made Jesse grin as he trailed his hands down, pulling at the hem of the other’s shirt. The teeth at his neck only pulled away long enough for the smaller man to pull his shirt off, throwing it elsewhere before he resumed his burning path. Soon enough, Genji was nipping and sucking at Jesse’s unoccupied right nipple, causing the cowboy to squirm under him a little and dig his fingertips into his back. 

“So sensitive,” Genji breathed, swiping his tongue over Jesse’s abused nipple before he trailed further down, seemingly satisfied at the state of Jesse’s soon-to-be bruised chest for now. Flicking those amber eyes up to meet Jesse’s dark brown ones, Genji gave him a wicked grin before sucking a hickey onto the ridge of his pelvis as he worked deft fingers to undo his belt buckle and jeans. Blushing a little, Jesse lifted his hips up to help the smaller man slide his jeans and boxers down to his knees. He could tell by his shocked expression that, whatever Genji had been expecting, the sheer  _ girth _ of Jesse’s half-aroused dick was not on that list. The look of hunger in his eyes made a small shudder roll through him. 

“Ya gonna stare at it or are ya gonna do somethin’ with it?” he breathed, realizing just how unsteady his breathing was already. He got a laugh in return before Genji leaned down, taking his erection in hand and pressing a few open-mouthed kisses to the underside of his shaft. Jesse grinned when he heard the small exclamation of surprise when teeth meet unexpected metal. 

“What the fuck-” Genji cut himself off, angling Jesse’s cock up to get a better look at the full frenum ladder that adorned the underside of his shaft. “Holy  _ shit _ , Jesse,” he grins, “never pegged you for one to like metal,” he hummed, leaning back down to draw his tongue over the ridges left by the barbells. Jesse groaned, letting his head fall against the pillows as Genji took the tip into his mouth, starting to work the base of his shaft in tandem with the bobbing of his head. 

“It makes sex feel a whole lot better in my opinion,” Jesse breathed, reaching one hand down to curl into the bright green locks at the back of Genji’s head. The hum he got in response caused him to jolt a little, groaning again. He briefly wondered how many times Genji had done this before, but his thoughts were wiped clean when the smaller male started to take more of his shaft into his mouth. Jesse looked down, an appreciative moan spilling past his lips. The younger male had swallowed down half of Jesse’s length, pumping what couldn’t fit in his mouth with his fist while being mindful of his teeth. It was not long before Jesse was desperately tugging him off, rocking his hips up into the quickly-cooling air as he whined. 

“Damn, and here I was wanting to see if I could deep throat you,” Genji hummed, looking for all the world like he was completely serious. Jesse snorted, sitting up and digging around in his nightstand before he threw a condom and a bottle of lube at him. 

“Suit up, man. Not that I don’t trust you but...well, you can’t be too careful.” He grinned, watching the other flounder for a moment as he caught the unexpected objects. He almost laughed at Genji’s disappointed look. 

“You are a tease, Jesse McCree. Showing me that piercing of yours and I don’t even get to try it out,” he huffed, sitting up to unbuckle his own pants before he pushed them down and off. Jesse decided to kick his remaining clothes off all the way as well before propping himself up on his elbows. 

“If there happens to be a next time, darlin’, you can ride me ‘til the cows come home. Until then, I want you to suffer,” he purred, letting his head loll to the side. He swore he heard Genji mutter something in Japanese, but he wasn’t about to start asking. Instead, he watched him with an intent gaze as he ripped open the condom wrapper and pulled it out, sliding it down over his own straining erection. Jesse swiped his tongue over his bottom lip a little, lifting his hips just a bit when Genji reached for him with a lube-slicked hand. 

Jesse hissed a little as a cold fingertip pressed against his tightly-puckered entrance, trying to get himself to relax as much as possible for Genji. Going slowly, the younger male worked in two fingers down to the last knuckle and Jesse groaned, spreading his legs a little more for him. Genji started to move and scissor his fingers, effectively working him open. A sly grin slowly spread across his face when the older man gasped, arching his back away from his touch suddenly.

“What was that? Did I find something sensitive?” Genji cooed, curling his fingers again and pressing right up against that spot again. Jesse moaned, squirming under him a little. 

“Damnit Genji, fuck me,” he pleaded, grinding his hips against the other’s fingers. There was a laugh as Genji pulled his fingers away, shifting his attention to slicking up his own cock with the lube. 

“As you wish, McCree,” he purred, shifting to kneel between his knees. Jesse bit back a whimper when Genji started to press the tip in, angling his hips a little to help him. They worked together at a slow, steady pace until Genji’s thighs touched the back of Jesse’s ass. By that point, Jesse was panting softly and squirming a little at the all-too-familiar feeling of being full. Genji wasn’t as thick as he was, but he made up for it by being a little bit longer. It was enough to give him a satisfied feeling.

Genji started out slow, pulling out all the way to the tip before sliding back in smoothly. Mild discomfort turned into a slow-burning pleasure that had Jesse groaning lowly, almost begging the other man to go faster. Thankfully, Genji’s patience seemed to be as low as his own and it wasn’t long before his thrusts became quicker and harder. Jesse gripped tightly to the sheets as he whined a little, pushing his hips back to meet his thrusts. 

“Harder, Genji, please fuck me harder,” he moaned, reaching up to pull Genji down into a bruising kiss. He got a muffled moan in response and his actions proved useful when, after a few good hard thrusts, Genji was hitting his prostate with every jerk of his hips. It reduced Jesse down to a whining, moaning mess as he drug his nails down Genji’s back, undoubtedly leaving long red marks.

The younger male reached between them, grabbing ahold of Jesse’s drooling cock and stroking it in time with his thrusts. Needless to say, Jesse did not last long like that. Within minutes, the bigger man keened, back arching sharply as he spilled his release onto his own chest and stomach. Above him, Genji cried out as his hips stuttered and, if the sudden warmth was anything to go by, came inside of Jesse. They laid there like that for a few moments, chests heaving and sweaty, sticky bodies pressed together while Genji buried his face against Jesse’s neck. 

“That was...good. Yes, definitely good,” Genji breathed, slowly pulling out of Jesse with a small groan. He carefully removed the condom and tied it off before tossing it into the trashcan next to Jesse’s bed. He plopped down next to the bigger male, curling up against him and wrapping an arm around his midsection. At least he didn’t seem to mind the mess too much. Jesse couldn’t say the same. 

“Lemme up, darlin’. I can’t go to bed all sticky,” he chuckled, leaning over to kiss the top of Genji’s head. The smaller man groaned but let him go anyways. It took ten minutes for Jesse to clean up and get back in bed. Genji immediately sidled up to him, cuddling close. 

“Can I stay here for the night? I will leave in the morning, I just do not want to face my brother right now.” He started to trace small patterns onto Jesse’s chest and the older man quirked an eyebrow. 

“I wasn’t aware that you had a brother. But all right, I got class at nine so you’ll have to skedaddle by then.” He pulled the blanket over the both of them, allowing Genji to curl up comfortably next to him. He heard the faint hum of affirmation before he was drifting off to sleep, snoring soundly. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Translations:**  
>  I do not speak arabic or spanish so if you see an error, please let me know!  
>  _raei albaqar_ \- Cowboy  
>  _Nino_ \- boy  
>  _Lo siento, senor_ \- Sorry, sir  
>  _Nein_ \- no  
>  _Cabron_ \- dumbass  
>  First and foremost, I have to thank [Nox](http://noxdrawstrash.tumblr.com/) for allowing me to adapt her college AU into a fic. If I hadn't found her work on Tumblr all those days ago, I would not have been inspired to write this fic. So once again, thank you Nox for giving me permission to write this! Its gonna be a blast. 
> 
> I have this fic planned out and all I can say is it's going to be a monstrous one. I'm talking upwards of 20-25 chapters at LEAST. So I hope y'all are ready to buckle into a long journey while we follow Jesse through college. 
> 
> My Tumblr: [Mo-mouse](http://mo-mouse.tumblr.com)  
> My OW Tumblr: [Elizarenot](http://elizarenot.tumblr.com)
> 
> Thank you all so much for your support with my other works, I hope I receive as much love and support on this fic as well. Comments and criticism are highly appreciated, especially if you notice mixed up tenses. Sorry for the mini novel, love you all!
> 
> ~Momouse


	2. Lesson Two: Patience is a Virtue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jesse slowly but surely learns about the Civil War, Hanzo likes fruity cocktails, Jack's a mess, and Genji gets hurt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! I hope y'all are still with me on this! I'm enjoying the fic as much as ever, and I've received good reviews from Southern, my beta for this chapter. Enjoy~!

_ Don’t want to wait ‘til the sun starts sinking / we could be feeling all right / I know you know what I’ve been thinking / why don’t we do a little day drinking _

Jesse groaned, rolling over to slap his alarm clock until the damned thing shut off. Bleary eyed, he felt around the sheets for the green-haired spitfire that had shared his bed last night. Much to his surprise, the bed was empty and cold except for where he’d been sleeping. His surprise was short lived. Maybe Genji was just an early riser. Plus, it saved him from awkward conversations.

“Sure was cute,” he mumbled to himself, rolling out of bed as he got up. He gathered up a pair of jeans and a red flannel, stumbling into his bathroom to take care of his morning business and start up a hot shower. A small moan left his lips as the hard spray of the water started to work out the tension in his back. He stood there for a good ten minutes before actually starting to wash his hair and body. 

Dressed and groomed, Jesse shouldered his backpack and left his apartment. Not being much of a cook, he decided to stop by the local campus cafe for a quick bite to eat. The cafe was a quaint little building, built into the corner of the campus bookstore. They served small things like sandwiches, coffees and occasionally soups. Today, Jesse settled for a peanut butter and  strawberry jelly sandwich and a bottle of milk. 

On his way to a small table in the back, he accidentally clipped someone’s shoulder, knocking them briefly off balance. He tried to steady them but they quickly batted his hands away. 

“Watch where you are going, you idiot!” A harsh voice snapped and Jesse was met with the fiercest gaze he had seen on anybody in years. He chuckled a little, pushing his hand through his hair as a force of nervous habit. Why had he left his hat at home?

“Sorry, man. No need to get your knickers in a twist, it was just an accident.” He offered a half-shrug, wondering why the other was so upset over bumping shoulders with Jesse. He brushed the thoughts away though as the stranger gave him one last glare and walked away. Shaking his head, he continued on to his own table to eat in peace. Some people were just so rude these days.

Once his breakfast was over, Jesse found himself running to make it to Chemistry on time. He knew Dr. Judd could be a spiteful man when provoked and being tardy to his class was the greatest way to do it. He walked in just as the class started and ducked his head to avoid the metaphorical daggers being thrown his way courtesy of the aforementioned doctor.

“In lab today, you will be working with a partner to build an experiment to identify six mystery compounds. This should be a relatively easy task, but I have been wrong before. You will be given a partner and a group of compounds to research for your hypothesis. Your experimental design will be due on Friday, late work will not be accepted. Here we go.” With that, Dr. Judd began listing off pairs of names and handing them slips of paper. When the list of potential partners grew smaller and smaller, Jesse got that suspicious feeling in his gut. His doom was sealed with a handful of words. 

“Mr. McCree, you will be partnered with Miss Amari, here’s your compounds.” He snatched up the list, scanning over it. Most of the items were ionic, which was a lucky break because he could work well with ionic compounds. He was caught off guard by Fareeha throwing her arms around his neck and squealing a little. 

“There’s hope for me after all! I might not fail this class just yet!” she sang, practically hanging off of him. He groaned, dropping his head back. Out of everyone he could have gotten paired with and this was his pick of the litter. 

“Not that I don’t love you, Farah, but you  _ did _ almost get us both killed the last time we were partnered up together. Please promise me that you won’t go throwin’ random chemicals together this time? In fact, let me handle chemicals. Just help me do the research.” Jesse gave her a pat on the back, offering a sheepish half-smile. He had never understood how someone could be so bad at a subject as easy as Chemistry until he met his beloved best friend. He narrowly dodged the playful punch thrown his way. 

“Don’t be an ass, McCree. I have learned my lesson. I swear it.” She grinned, but Jesse wasn’t inclined to believe her. He just grunted a little, pulling his Surface Pro out of his bag to start doing research. After a few minutes, Fareeha joined him. He knew how most of the compounds on the list would interact with  _ each other _ , but that didn’t give him much leeway into figuring them out other than a blurry guidance that could narrow it down to two or three options. 

By the end of class, Jesse had the boiling and freezing points of all the compounds and a rough draft of an experimental design written up. 

“Do you want to join me and Angela for lunch today?” Fareeha pops over his shoulder, nearly causing him to drop his tablet. He swore, clutching it to his chest as he glared over his shoulder at her. She just grinned innocently, ruffling his hair a little. 

“Hey, stop that!” He batted her hand away. “And no, sorry sis. Got a hot date with the history tutor.” He heaved a sigh, tucking his things safely away in his bag. He heard her burst into a fit of giggles and he rolled his eyes, slinging the abused backpack over his shoulder. 

“Whatever you say, kid. Don’t get too hot and bothered by old dead men though.” Before he could protest she left the classroom to meet up with Angela, who usually waited for her. 

“Old dead men my ass,” he grumbled, heading for the library. 

 

#####  ~*~

 

“You mean to tell me that  _ you’re _ my tutor? Dude, you were a total ass this morning,” Jesse groaned, hanging his head in his hands. As it turned out, grumpy cafe dude was this ‘Hanzo’ person that Gabriel wanted him to find. Unlike this morning, however, he dropped into a bow at the waist and mumbled a quiet apology. 

“My apologies, Jesse. I am not much of a morning person admittedly and, much to my annoyance, my brother came crawling in at about seven o’clock this morning. Made enough noise to wake the dead, if I must say.” Hanzo stood back up, taking his seat across from Jesse. The brunette just eyed him skeptically before pulling out that week’s study guide. 

“Sounds like a real dick. Sorry man. S’pose I can forgive ya. But only if ya help me understand this shit. I thought I had history down, but this is...this is somethin’ else.” He rubbed at the patch of hair growing under his lip, frowning a little in contemplation as he stared at his homework. He didn’t notice his tutor shamelessly staring at him. 

“Right, you are going over the civil war? This unit is a bit easier than the revolutionary time period.” With that, Hanzo launched into his own mini-lecture about the Civil War and pointed out important dates for Jesse to note. At the end of it, Jesse was still staring with a blank face at his paper. He cleared his throat a little. 

“Okay...uh...what did...what did sectionalism have to do with it again?” He blinked, looking up at Hanzo. He barely dodged the history textbook that came flying at his face. 

“Were you not paying attention to my explanation, Jesse? I was not aware that anyone could be this bad at a subject,” he muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose. “All right, I will repeat myself. And Jesse? Pay attention,” he snapped, scooting a little closer to Jesse as he started to explain things again. 

Three hours later, Jesse had a basic grasp on the Civil War and Hanzo was a little less ready to kill him.

“I never imagined that tutoring History could be something akin to pulling teeth,” Hanzo muttered, rubbing at his forehead tentatively. Jesse chuckled a bit, scooping the last of his things into his bag before slinging the object over his shoulder. 

“Well if I manage to pass the next quiz I’ll be forever indebted to ya, man. Speakin’ of which, seein’ as I missed my lunch period, d’ya wanna grab a bite to eat with me? I got work in a couple hours but I wouldn’t mind some company down to Arby’s.” He crossed his arms, grinning like a fiend down at Hanzo. He got a weary look in return. 

“I am not partial to your fast food, but I suppose I should eat something.” He finally conceded, standing up after gathering his things as well. Jesse nodded, slinging his arm around Hanzo’s shoulders and starting to head for the exit. He hadn’t noticed the way Hanzo’s face reddened a little at the contact, or the way the shorter man stole a glance up at him every once in awhile as they walked. 

Once both men had their food and were seated, Jesse decided to try and make a new friend.

“Do you got any plans for this weekend?” He asked idly, taking a huge bite out of his sandwich. He watched as Hanzo paused his apparent dissection of his own meal and gave him a thoughtful glance. 

“Not really, no. Genji was trying to get me to go to some party or another. Something about a Freshman Bash?” Hanzo tilted his head a little, but Jesse was still stuck on the word ‘Genji’. He blinked a bit, a faint red color coming to his cheeks as he put two and two together. He cleared his throat a little. 

“Genji? He your brother?” He asked nonchalantly, stabbing one of his fries into the Arby’s sauce pooled on his sandwich wrapper. Hanzo looked a bit confused before nodding.    
“Yes, he is. Why do you ask?” He tilted his head a little and Jesse gave a small laugh. 

“No reason at all, man.” He wasn’t about to admit to Hanzo that he was the reason Genji was sneaking back in at such an early hour. He finished his meal in silence, watching with mild amusement as Hanzo ate the bun off of his sandwich first before delicately picking at the meat that had been neatly stacked inside. He wasn’t about to question it though, because he figured that everyone had at least one odd eating habit. His was his obsessive love of drowning everything he could in Tabasco sauce. He glanced at his phone.

“Well thanks again for not killing me today and joining me for lunch. I gotta scram or I’m not gonna make it to work on time. Oh, here.” Jesse dug in his bag and removed a pen and a piece of paper. He uncapped the pen and scribbled his phone number down on a corner of the paper before tearing it off and handing it to Hanzo. The man looked confused and Jesse couldn’t help his grin that time. 

“That way you can keep in touch with me. Keep in contact about our next tutoring session.” He stood up and shouldered his bag once more, nodding his head a little in farewell before taking his leave to head back to his apartment. 

 

#####  ~*~

 

Jesse, surprisingly, made it to work on time that day. He even had his hat on after having forgotten it at home that day, so he was in a bit of a good mood by the time his rush hour came around. He had been busying himself with the usual crowd when he saw a familiar flash of raven colored hair before none other than Hanzo himself appeared at the bar. If the other was surprised that Jesse worked here, he didn’t show it. 

“Well howdy, Shimada-san,” Jesse tipped his hat a little, “what can I get for ya?” He grinned, heading up to him immediately. He watched as Hanzo furrowed his brow a little before giving a helpless shrug, honestly looking like he hadn’t even wanted to be there in the first place. 

“My brother dragged me here. Just make me something strong and sweet,” he barked, rubbing the bridge of his nose. He colored a little when he realized how rude that sounded. “Er, please,” he added quietly and Jesse chuckled, tipping his hat again before starting to make him a Love Potion. 

“I’ve never been fond of fruity cocktails, but this one’s supposed to be pretty damned good. Can hardly taste the alcohol. I’d say it’s a damn crime to take away the best part but I suppose not everyone likes the bite.” He clicked his tongue, a smirk settling on his lips. 

“I have never been particularly fond of the taste.” Hanzo took the drink that was eventually offered to him and took a tentative sip. Jesse watched with no small amount of pride as Hanzo’s eyes widened a little and he looked a bit shocked. Judging by the larger sip that followed, the cowboy assumed that meant good things. 

“Just keep those coming until I pass out,” he snorted, taking another sip of the drink. Jesse beamed, bowing his head a little. 

“Glad to know I picked wisely. If you want to know for the future in case I’m not the one behind the bar, that one’s a Love Potion.” Jesse swore he heard Hanzo say something along the lines of ‘yeah and it is working’ in response but before he could question him, something in the throbbing crowd of dancers caught the other’s attention. 

“Thank you, Jesse, but I must be going.” He left two twenty dollar bills and a five on the bar and told Jesse to keep the change before heading off. He was briefly confused by the sudden disappearance, but he figured he’d keep an eye out for the exchange student as the night wore on. 

He wasn’t left with his mindless work for to long before a familiar shock of green hair entered his vision and he was met face to face with a grinning Genji. 

“McCree! Glad to see a friendly face again!” The exuberant young man grinned, almost leaning halfway over the bar as he spoke. Jesse grinned right back, tipping his hat to the younger Shimada brother and walking up to him. Thankfully, his rush hour seemed to have died off a little so he had some time to actually breathe and talk to his has-been lover. If one could even call him such. 

“Well howdy, darlin’. To what do I owe you the pleasure of seein’ you ‘round here again?” He drawled, leaning on the bar with his elbows propping him up. He could see the mischievous gleam in Genji’s eye and had a gut feeling that he knew exactly what the younger man was after. 

“I wanted to come by and thank you for last night. I must apologize, by the way, for leaving earlier than I said I would. I got woken up by your damned snoring and couldn’t fall back asleep. My brother was not to fond of me coming home so early this morning. He told me as much,” the younger teased, that  _ look  _ never leaving his eye. Jesse decided to go ahead and take the bait. 

“I’m sorry for wakin’ you up then. Is there any way I can ever make it up to you?” He chuckled a little, moving to prop his chin up on his palm. Genji batted his eyelashes, reaching out to rest his hand lightly on Jesse’s forearm and give it a squeeze.

“I’m free tonight. What do you say? Should we go for another round? After all, I am still positively  _ aching  _ to figure out what-”

“McCree! Stop flirting on the job and do what you’re actually paid to do. If you want to get paid to get laid, go work as a god damned stripper!” Jesse jumped back a little when he heard his boss’s timbering growl sound only a few feet from where he currently was standing. 

“Right, uh, sorry ‘bout that Devon. He’s my-”

“Just get to work, kid. I don’t want to know, I don’t need to know, just get back to work.” The bar manager lifted his hands, shaking his head a little as he brushed by Jesse to go into the office. Jesse let out a breath, turning to glance at Genji with an apologetic smile. 

“Sorry, if you’re still around when I get off we can continue our little chat.” Jesse offered, giving a half shrug. Genji nodded his approval and parted with a ‘see ya later, cowboy’. 

He had almost started on the stack of dirty glasses that had piled up during his rush when he caught sight of another familiar face. Sitting at the end of the bar, by himself and looking downright unhappy about it, was one Jack Morrison. Jesse knew he should stay out of the Dean’s business, but he hated seeing the usually well-kept man looking so distraught. 

“Hey, Mr. Morrison. You look like you could use something strong.” Jesse busied himself with the menial task of wiping down the counter as he spoke to Jack so he wouldn’t get in trouble again. 

“Jesse. Ah, I’m not actually in the mood for something to drink right now. Not yet, anyways.” The older man grumbled, picking at a loose thread on his shirt before checking his phone. His shoulders seemed to drop a little more and Jesse started to get a little concerned. 

“Not that it’s really any of my business, sir, but you look like someone just told you they killed your favorite cat or somethin’.” Jesse spoke timidly, reorganizing the bottles in that part of the well. He expected Jack to tell him to stay out of his business and was mildly shocked when he got an actual answer. 

“Gabriel was supposed to meet me here about...an hour and a half ago. Not a single damned call, not even a text! That bastard stood me up.” Jack all but snarled, causing Jesse to nearly drop the bottle of Bacardi he was holding at the sudden outburst. Nonetheless, the news still ignited a small fire within Jesse and he furrowed his brow. 

“Seriously? Not even a text? He didn’t get in an accident, did he?” Jesse tilted his head, mindlessly going through the movements of pouring a glass of whiskey for the other man. Jack shook his head, pinching the bridge of his nose and looking pretty damned close to crying. 

“If he had been in an accident of some sorts, I’d have received a call by now. Was I an idiot to think that a man like Gabriel Reyes would ever take an interest in me beyond trying to get in my pants?” he groaned a little, wordlessly accepting the glass of alcohol pressed into his palm by a very concerned, very pissed off Jesse. 

There were very few things that pissed Jesse off, but assholes who won someone’s love and favor just to get their dick wet and then drop them to the curb when all was said and done was at the top of that list. 

“Don’t like...threaten to hold my transcripts because of this or whatever but he honestly sounds like a dick who isn’t worth your time. Look, my shift ends in a couple hours. Stay here, nurse your drink and I’ll walk you home tonight.” Jesse wasn’t sure why he offered, but the thought of letting the man he once looked up to go home by himself didn’t settle well with him. He wasn’t superstitious by any means, but he believed fully in trusting his gut instinct.

“You really don’t-- all right,” Jack sighed, not even having the energy to fight the younger man’s request. That worried Jesse all the more. He had known the man even before he started college due to his kinship with Ana and if there was one thing he knew about him better than anyone else did, it was his bull-headedness. 

With concern tightening his gut, two hours couldn’t come fast enough. 

 

#####  ~*~

 

“You didn't have to walk me home, but thanks kid. I appreciate the offer nonetheless.” Jack walked up the three short steps to the door of his house before pausing, glancing to look back at Jesse. He frowned a little. “Why don’t you come inside? It’s getting cold out and Ana would have my head if I made you walk all the way back home without letting you warm up a little first,” Jack offered, unlocking his door and pushing it open. Jesse hesitated. 

“I’ll be fine, really. I’m a bit hardier than you think, Mr. Morrison. ‘Sides, I wouldn’t wanna intrude on ya or anythin’--”

“Stop talking and get your ass inside, Jesse. I’m not the dean of students right now, I’m your friend,” he snapped, causing Jesse to duck his head a little in embarrassment. Much like a scolded child would. 

“Yessir,” he mumbled, padding up the steps and entering the home. Out of habit, he took his shoes off by the door and hung his coat up. He hadn’t been in this house in years, and he was mildly pleased to see it still looked the same. Not that he could say he was surprised. Jack was a man of very simple tastes, so Jesse couldn’t see him changing his decor in a long while. 

He watched as Jack crossed the wooden floors into the kitchen, rooting around until he comes up with an unopened bottle of whiskey. Jesse was about to question why he had it before he recognized it as the bottle he’d gotten him for Christmas a couple years back. He was shocked to see that the man had kept it this long. Either way, he accepts a glass when Jack hands it to him and sips at it tentatively. 

“Care to watch a movie with me? We haven’t sat down and watched a movie since you were no higher than my waist.” Jesse isn’t sure whether it’s the slightly pained look in Jack’s eye or the hospitality of the whole situation but he finds himself nodding, already heading to the living room to dig through the collection of the older man’s movies. 

He couldn’t say Jack had been a father figure to him, he had never been close enough for that. However, he was there when Jesse was growing up more so than his actual dad had been so he always figured he counted as some sort of substitution. He had all but lived with Fareeha and Ana in his childhood, something that he was thankful for to this day because he wasn’t sure he’d be where he was at with his education if he hadn’t had guidance from the older woman. Coming back to reality, Jesse snatched up the well-worn case of ‘The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly’ before going to pop it into the VCR. 

“Jesse if you pick that damned western again, I’m going to destroy the tape!” He heard Jack growl from the kitchen and it made him grin like an idiot. 

“ _ Demasiado tarde _ ! You know it’s my favorite movie, don’t let me pick if you don’t wanna watch it.” He laughed, pressing pause before the music could start up. He got up off the ground and settled himself on the couch, tucking his knees to his chest like he used to do as a boy. It wasn’t too long before Jack reappeared with a bowl of popcorn and the bottle of whiskey, both of which Jesse received eagerly while he pressed play on the remote.

Three hours and a full bottle of whiskey later, Jesse was not in any condition to make it back to his apartment safely. Jack, while having joined him for the movie, had appeared glum throughout it. Not many smiles graced his features, no doubt still tangled up in his anxiety over being stood up and why. As a result of his wool gathering, he had fallen quiet throughout the movie, though he did help himself to long swills of the whiskey.

“Can I crash on your couch? If I try to walk home now I might end up in the ditch somewhere.” He rubs his eyes, stretching from his uncomfortable position on the couch that he had held for an unreasonable amount of time. He heard Jack snort a little before his hand was on his shoulder. 

“Come on kid, I still have the guest room setup.” Jack was pulling him to his feet and Jesse found himself leaning against the older man for support. The trek up the stairs was difficult, but Jesse managed not to kill himself as Jack opened a door to an all-too-familiar room.

“Man, even this old place hasn’t changed much. You really are a stagnant man, Jack.” He clicked his tongue, not realizing how harsh that sounded through his drunken haze. As such, he became really confused when Jack froze in place, his shoulders tensing visibly and his face fell a little. 

“Stagnant...do you think that’s why Gabriel didn’t show up tonight? Am I too stagnant, Jesse?” he asked quietly, sitting down on the edge of the bed with misery clear in his voice and the set of his shoulders drooping into a shell of what his ramrod straight posture normally boasted. The younger man sighed, placing himself next to Jack and resting a hand on his shoulder. 

“You are a bit set in your ways, Jack, but I don’t think that’s the reason Mr. Reyes stood you up tonight. I honestly truly think he was just bein’ a dick. You know what? You don’t deserve him,” Jesse huffed, wrapping his arms around Jack in an awkward hug. He heard Jack sniffle, and then the floodgates were opened. The next thing he knew, the older man was clinging on to him and openly crying. The whiskey no doubt had an effect on the older man, however the undercurrent of how badly Mr Reyes’ actions stung Jack were not to be dismissed and it incensed Jesse all the more.

“I-I’m sorry, I don’t- I didn’t- I just don’t understand it! I thought we were grown men, I thought we could talk this out, but no, he decided to be immature and just not show up,” Jack whined a little, burying his face against Jesse’s shoulder as he stammered his apology. The cowboy sighed, maneuvering so that they both were at least resting against the headboard. This seemed to instill something in his former mentor, causing him to tuck his head under Jesse’s chin and settle in against him. 

“It’ll be all right, Jack. He’ll be real sorry for hurtin’ you. You’re like family to me, always have been. I’ll make sure he knows just who he’s fuckin’ with,” Jesse muttered, rubbing small circles onto the man’s back. He thought he heard the blond say something, but it trailed off into a small hiccup as the man started to fall asleep. This wasn’t part of Jesse’s original plans for the night, but it took priority. 

With the emotional distress of Jack’s evening, it slipped Jesse’s mind entirely that he had promised to meet Genji. It wasn’t until an unknown number lit up his phone with a text message that he remembered and almost slapped himself on the forehead. The first message was quickly followed by a whole flood of text messages.

[Unknown] _ Is this Jesse McCree? _

[Unknown]  _ I sure hope so _

[Unknown] _ It’s Genji _

[Unknown]  _ Managed to nab your number from my brother’s book bag _

[Unknown]  _ What the hell were you doing with him? _

[Unknown]  _ Wait, you’re the kid he’s tutoring, aren’t you? _

[Unknown]  _ Shit, small world after all _

[Unknown]  _...  _

[Unknown] _ Hello?  _

[Unknown] _ (⌣_⌣”) _

[Unknown]  _ Sorry to bother you, I guess _

The messages stopped coming, and he noticed that the first one was sent about an hour after he had gotten off work, the rest of them periodically after that. Why hadn’t his phone been receiving the messages? He sighed heavily, deciding to deal with it tomorrow. He saw one final message, from a different number, pop up before he drifted off to sleep alongside Jack. 

[Unknown]  _ Hello, this is Hanzo. My apologies for the late text, I just got done with homework. (;-_-) I will be in the library tomorrow starting at noon, just like today. Make sure to bring your study guide, I think I know a way to help you memorize the information. Have a good night, McCree. _


	3. Lesson Three: Don't Judge a Book by it's Cover

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hanzo gets a brief moment in the spotlight as we view the world from his perspective. His pinings for the cowboy go unsaid, and he ends up regretting his decision in the morning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'M ALIVE  
> I have finally come off of my writer's block and I AM BACK BABY!!  
> Anyways, I know this chapter is shorter than usual, but it's the best I can crunch out right now. It also wasn't edited, so don't hate me too much for any mistakes you see! Enjoy~!

The day of the test, Hanzo found himself seated in the library, waiting for Jesse to come tell him what he had received on his test. When the cowboy showed up with a wide grin on his face, the archer knew that his score had exceeded what he was hoping for. 

“Seventy-nine percent, Han.” Jesse slapped the test down on the table, sliding it towards the stoic man. Hanzo glanced down, flicking through the pages. Sectionalism. How did he know that sectionalism was going to be Jesse’s pitfall? He smirked a little. 

“Sectionalism. Really Jesse? We went over that a hundred times,” he clicked his tongue, shaking his head a little. He watched the scruffy man dip his head in embarrassment. 

“It ain't a reflection on your teachin’. That's a much better score than what I would have gotten without your help, you know?” He took a seat, sitting in the chair next to Hanzo. The archer was overwhelmed by the sudden scent of the cowboy. It was a spicy musk, something that nearly intoxicated him. He cleared his throat, subtly shifting closer with the excuse of digging through his papers to produce the next study guide.

“Well, we will have to do better on the next unit then. The next unit is World War I and World War II. It will be a cramped unit, but we have an extra week to go over the content. Shall we start?” He flipped open his text book, showing Jesse the relevant passages to the unit. By the end of the study session, Hanzo had cleared the first passage with Jesse and had helped him learn the important information. As per usual, their session ended when the cowboy glanced at his watch and swore quietly under his breath. 

“I have a feeling this is going to be an interestin’ unit. I hate to cut things short, darlin’, but I gotta run or Devon is gonna kill me,” Jesse chuckled, quickly packing up his things. Hanzo nodded, following suite at a much slower pace. His gaze followed Jesse out of the library until he was out of sight. He sighed a little, shaking his head as he zipped up his bag and shouldered it. Part of him was tempted to return to the bar that evening. Perhaps he would, if Genji was going. 

#####  ~*~

“Since when are you so keen on going out on a school night,  _ aniki _ ? Do you have a date?” Genji’s voice echoed slightly in their tiled bathroom. Hanzo was currently trying to enjoy a peaceful shower, but his brother had decided to join him with some idle chit chat. Poking his head out of the curtain, Hanzo fixed Genji with a glare. 

“Since when are you interested in anything I do,  _ otouto _ ? And why is it that I can never take a shower in peace?” He quirked a brow, giving Genji a pointed look before shutting the curtain again. His brother just laughed, and Hanzo heard him stand up. 

“Would you rather I joined you like when we were kids? Please, you are my stuffy, traditional older brother. Why do you  _ think _ I’m interested in what you’re doing? It is a school night, you undoubtedly have homework, but you’re going to the bar instead. The only reason I could think of that would tempt you to do that is if you were meeting someone,” Genji rambled, the sound of his voice indicating that he was pacing steadily in front of the shower. Hanzo shook his head, rolling his eyes despite the fact that Genji wouldn’t be able to see it. 

“It is none of your business, Genji. Now please, leave me in peace,” he grumbled, wanting to get out and get ready to go. As far as he knew, Jesse typically closed the bar even on school nights. That would give him plenty of time to work up his courage to talk casually to the man. 

“Fine, you sourpuss. Hey, can I catch a ride with you, though?  _ I _ have a rain check to cash in tonight, and I don’t want to drive my car since I’ll be drinking and I don’t want to leave it at the bar.” Genji’s words made Hanzo’s spirits sink a little. If his brother was going to be drinking, that would mean that Hanzo wouldn’t be able to. He could call a taxi, but that would require he leave his car in the parking lot of the bar. Still, it was his only option. With a pang of irritation, Hanzo shut the water off and ripped the curtain back. 

“I am leaving in ten minutes, with or without you,” he quipped, snatching up his towel and starting to dry himself off. Genji jumped a little, quickly turning his back with a sharp laugh. 

“Thank you,  _ aniki _ . I’ll stay out of your hair all night tonight, promise it!” Hanzo watches his brother leave, feeling that irritation start to ebb and be replaced with anxiety. Maybe if he drank enough, he would not have an issue talking to Jesse. Genji had always told him he needed to loosen up a little and, in his own words, ‘get laid’. Tonight would not be the night for that last part, but maybe eventually. Hanzo shook his head, pulling the dark jeans and cobalt blue button down that Genji had picked out for him on. He rolled the sleeves up to his elbows, smoothing the silky fabric down with a small frown. He felt ridiculous. Glancing at his phone, he took a deep breath. It was now or never. 

“Genji, I’m leaving!” he calls, opening the bathroom door and heading for the door to their apartment. He heard some brief cursing, followed by the sound of something being knocked over, before the younger Shimada nearly bowled him over. Despite looking a bit disheveled after that fiasco, Genji still managed to pull off his usual boyishly handsome look in his white jeans and neon-green button down. His shirt was left open to reveal a black tank top and Hanzo nearly rolled his eyes. 

“I saw that look, brother. Would you rather I go without?” he teased, tugging at the hem of his undershirt. Hanzo shook his head quickly, grabbing his keys. 

“Let’s go.” He left the apartment, waiting for Genji to lock the door and follow. Tonight, he had a feeling, was going to be a long night. 

#####  ~*~

Three beers and half a cocktail in, Hanzo still hadn’t worked up the courage to talk to Jesse. Maybe it was the way his brother kept looking at the cowboy, or maybe it was the look Jesse kept receiving from a familiar History teacher, but Hanzo had not been able to utter a single word to the ruggedly handsome bartender other than to order his drinks. Genji seemed to notice his brother’s sinking spirits, since he eventually leaned over and knocked him lightly with his shoulder. 

“Maybe next time, brother.” He offered an empathetic smile before standing up straight. “Try to enjoy the rest of your night, I will be back in a moment. Too many shots,” he chuckled, sliding off the bar stool with all the grace a drunken adult could manage and staggered off towards the direction of the bathrooms. He perked up a little at his brother’s disappearance, figuring now was the time to talk to Jesse. He chalked his previous reservations up to his brother’s presence and turned to speak, only to come face to face with the grinning cowboy, who slung his arm around Hanzo’s shoulders. 

“And this is who I owe my success to, teach! The brilliant tutor you sorta forced me to go to,” he laughed, taking a long drink out of the red solo cup he held. Hanzo turned a light shade of red, his courage going down the drain again. 

“Should you be drinking on the job, Jesse?” he chided, clicking his tongue and grabbing the cup out of Jesse’s hand. The cowboy snorted, rolling his eyes.

“Such a kill joy. You’re soundin’ a lot like my boss. I ain’t even had more than one...maybe two. Either way, I’m only mildly buzzed.” He stuck his tongue out, making Hanzo sigh a little and shake his head.

“Last I checked, you still have half of a shift to cover.” Despite his words, Hanzo looked amused. The smile he got in return made his stomach flip a few times, and it suddenly made sense how the overly-charming cowboy managed to get past his defenses in the first place.

“The best part of bartendin’, darlin’, is gettin’ to drink the drinks you make. Go ahead and finish that one off for me, my treat. I’m gonna go grab a breath of fresh air real quick like,” Jesse chuckled, tipping his hat to Hanzo before retreating to the patio. Hanzo watched him go, almost missing when Gabriel got up to follow after him. He frowned a little, wondering what that was about. Not wanting to seem like he was stalking Jesse or anything, he left it alone. Not his business, not his concern. At-least, that is what he kept telling himself. Genji returned shortly after, nearly knocking Hanzo over as he leaned against him. 

“Come on,  _ aniki _ , let’s dance!” he beamed, half-dragging a very reluctant Hanzo into the throng of strangers. If there was one thing on this earth that Hanzo couldn’t do, it was dance.   

#####  ~*~

Jesse had been outside for maybe five minutes when a familiar presence was suddenly at his side. Unfortunately, it wasn’t the presence he had been hoping for. 

“Why were you at Jack’s last night?” Gabe’s voice was harsh, something completely different from what Jesse was used to listening to in class. Was he...jealous? He scoffed, whirling around to face the bigger man.

“I’ll answer that when you tell me why you went and stood him up last night. Do you know how hurt he was? What, did one of the skanks from class decide to try and raise her grade? He waited--” 

“Shut up,  _ cabron _ !” His voice rose in volume, making Jesse shrink back a little. The shout had drawn the attention of the few patrons nearby, but the cowboy ignored them for now, glaring defiantly up at Gabriel. “Don’t go blabbing about things you don’t even have a part in. Did he mention we got in a fight yesterday morning? Did he mention how he hasn’t invited me to stay at  _ all _ this past week after dinner? No. He’s not the only one hurting in this relationship, kid. My best advice is to stay out of it. Completely,” he sighed, shoulders sagging a little. Any rage Jesse had felt previously had dissipated at the sight of his teacher looking so ruined. 

“Look, I know I poke my nose where it don’t belong, and I know that’ll come back to bite me in the ass some day, but...if you ever need anyone to talk to, you can ring me up and I’ll listen. Don’t like seein’ the people around me hurtin’,” he grumbled, looking away. The cowboy was startled when there was a clap on his shoulder and he jolted a bit, looking up with wide eyes at his teacher, who had a little half-smirk in place now. 

“You’re a good kid, Jesse. Don’t let anyone convince you otherwise. I think I’m going to close my tab for the evening and head over to Jack’s, see if we can’t talk things out. See you tomorrow, kid.” He ruffled Jesse’s hair affectionately before heading inside, presumably to pay, leaving Jesse a bit shocked at the events that just transpired. He had a lot to think about, but he also had to get back to work. With a small sigh, Jesse fixed his hat and adjusted it before going back in to resume working. 

“Yo! Jesse!” Genji waved to catch his attention moments after he got in and he ducked his head a bit sheepishly when he realized that it was just Genji, Hanzo nowhere in sight. He hadn’t had the chance to apologize for last night, but he had assumed that the green-haired Shimada was mad at him for it. “You still owe me that rain check.” He smirked, propping his elbows up on the bar. Jesse blinked, chuckling a little as he made his way over to him. 

“So, y’ain’t mad at me for last night?” He tilted his head a little, starting to clean up his glasses so it looked like he was busy. Genji laughed, shaking his head. 

“I was a little upset last night, but I figured something had come up. What do you say? Raincheck for tonight?” He tilted his head with a smirk on his lips, looking sly. Despite still feeling like he wasn’t out of the woods yet, Jesse found himself grinning. 

“You’re on, partner. Wait for me after closin’, I’ll give you a ride back to my apartment.”

#####  ~*~

_ Hey there ain't nothing wrong / Just making it up as we go along / Find a little rock and roll hallelujah / Throw your hands up high if the spirit moves ya babe / Singing hey, hey, hey / We can do it old school ABC style / Maybe we could go a little wild and freestyle-- _

Jesse started, slapping his alarm clock with the accuracy of a dead fish as he’s pulled from his slumber by the upbeat, new age country music belting out of the speakers. The first thing he thought to check was his phone, scrolling through the list of useless junk mail until he found a notice from his history teacher, informing him that class had been cancelled for the day due to some personal health issues. If he had to guess, he’d say that Gabe’s conversation with Jack went better than expected. He wouldn’t be surprised. Jack was a forgiving man, after all. Settling back down on his overly-comfy pillow, the cowboy prepared to go back to sleep. 

“Mmf, good morning, cowboy.” A sleepy, familiar voice spoke up from behind him and he froze, taking a moment to place a name to the voice and a face to the name. He rolled over, coming face to face with a sleepy-looking Genji. Jesse had to admit, the younger Shimada brother did look adorable with his hair mussed up from sex followed by sleep. He chuckled a little, offering a small smirk. 

“Good mornin’. Sleep well? Gotta admit, I’m kinda shocked you ain’t gone yet,” he drawled, voice husky from sleep still. He was surprised when the smaller male pressed close to him, burying his face against his neck and inhaling deeply. Two slender arms wrapped around his waist and he hesitated a moment before reaching up to brush his fingers through Genji’s hair. 

“I have to admit, I believe I am starting to enjoy this a bit  _ too _ much, Jesse McCree,” he admitted quietly, not making eye contact with Jesse. The aforementioned cowboy froze in place, gaze flicking down to search for any sign of the man’s usual teasing. He couldn’t find any, though. Clearing his throat softly, Jesse floundered for  _ any _ words that he could impart for Genji’s sake. 

“Is that so? Well, I’m willin’ to sit down and talk about this. Professor Reyes is out for the morning, so why don’t we go grab a cup of coffee or somethin’?” He tilted his head a little. Genji hummed, appearing to contemplate it before he grinned, nodding. 

“Coffee sounds wonderful. Before we go, though, could I make use of your shower? I do not think it is polite to go into public looking like this.” He sat up, pushing his fingers through his tousled hair. Jesse chuckled a little before nodding, sitting up as well and stretching a bit.

“Only if I can join you. You know, saving water and what not,” he hummed, getting out of bed and rummaging in his dresser for a set of clothes. After a second thought, he tossed a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt to Genji. “They may be a bit big on you, darlin’, but they should still be able to fit you just fine,” he murmured, heading to the door off to the side of his room. It opened into his bathroom and he fiddled around with the water temperature until it was perfect. He felt the presence of the other moments before he felt two arms wrap around his waist. 

“I am aware we have not known each other a terribly long time. I have seen you around campus, but I never really got the nerve to get your attention. Part of me is glad we had that one night stand, the other part of me wishes I had just had the courage to confront you earlier,” Genji mumbled, nuzzling into Jesse a little more. The taller man hummed, standing up and turning around to curl his arms around Genji’s mid-section. 

“Time don’t matter to me none, honeybee. Like I said, we’ll talk about it over breakfast. For now, let’s get cleaned up a little.” Jesse pressed a brief kiss to Genji’s forehead before stepping into the shower, waiting for the smaller man to follow him in. 

Their shower lasted about fifteen minutes, filled with gentle caresses and the occasional brush of lips against skin that strayed too close to resist. Jesse had familiarized himself with the pattern of Genji’s tattoo, tracing the swirling dragons over and over until he was certain he could replicate it in his sleep. The shower ended when Genji’s stomach growled audibly, causing Jesse to burst into a fit of laughter at the ruined mood. Shutting the water off, the cowboy helped the other out of the shower, handing him a towel. Within another twenty minutes, the pair were walking down the streets, Jesse with his hands in his pockets and Genji with his fingers locked behind his head.

“So, why do you want me, Genj? I’ve been single a long time, and you don’t know half my demons,” McCree clicked his tongue a little, sliding into a booth at the small diner he had brought them too. He followed Genji’s movements with his eyes, propping his chin up on his palm and watching his hesitation. 

“Perhaps that is part of the attraction, McCree. The mystery behind who you are, where you’ve been...what you’ve done. I want to figure it out. And when I do? I won’t want to let that information go. You are charming, good-looking, and absolutely fantastic in bed. What is there that I would not like? You talk about being single for a long time...do you know how long it has been since I have taken an interest in someone? You are a pretty good cowboy, managing to wrangle me in like that.” Genji smirked, and Jesse felt his heart skip a beat or two. 

“Well then. I suppose that’s a good enough reason for me. Tell you what. We’ll go on a few dates, see how we work together when it actually comes to being together, and we’ll go from there. Sound good?” he hummed, reaching across the table to rest his hand on top of Genji’s. The younger man nodded, lips parting in a grin as he flipped his hand over, locking their fingers together. 

“That sounds like a good plan, cowboy.” Jesse was taken by surprise when Genji leaned across the table, pulling him into a brief kiss. The diner was mostly empty, seeing as everyone was either in class or at work, but the few patrons that were in the diner were polite enough to act like they hadn’t seen anything. At least, most of them were. The sound of shattering glass made Jesse jump, turning to find the source of the noise with a startled look. A few feet from their table, Hanzo was calmly picking up pieces of the coffee cup he had presumably just dropped. Had Jesse not been paying attention, he would have missed the slight tremor to the elder Shimada’s hands. 

“Genji. I did not realize you were so...close to Jesse. Hm. That explains your disappearance last night. Although, I thought the purpose of your one night stands were to only see them for the night? Anyways, I best be going.” His voice cracked ever so slightly, but Jesse heard it. Before he could say anything, Hanzo spun on his heel and deposited the broken shards into the trash before taking his leave, slamming the door behind him. Jesse winced, wondering why he suddenly felt so guilty for his shared moment with Genji. Genji. Sparing the other man a glance, he had a feeling he was experiencing the same confusing emotions. There wasn’t anything wrong with what they were doing...right?

#####  ~*~

He was a damned fool. How could he have thought that the stupidly charming cowboy would have shown  _ any _ interest in him? Genji had said it himself. He was stuffy, traditional, and uptight. Jesse was only talking to him because he had to, not because he  _ wanted _ to. So why, then, did it feel like such a betrayal when he caught his brother of all people kissing Jesse? Hanzo had barely made it home before his composure dropped, turning him into a downright wreck. He hadn’t said anything to Genji. Perhaps he should have? Maybe  _ he _ would have been sitting across from Jesse enjoying a nice cup of coffee the morning after more favorable activities instead of Genji. The thought made him feel worse, and it was only a matter of minutes before Hanzo was ripping the cork out of a sake gourd. He hesitated, staring into the bottle with a blank look. Did he really want to spend his grief buried in a bottle? His hesitation lasted only a moment before he took a sip. Anything to drown the voices of ‘ _ What if? _ ’ and ‘ _ Coward! _ ’ bouncing around his skull.    
He was a damned fool. A drunken, damned fool who deserved to be alone. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So. Thoughts? Any Comments, Questions, or Concerns? Drop them in the comments and I'll get back to you ASAP!   
> Also, friendly reminder that I only speak English and German fluently so if something I type that's not in English or German is wrong, let me know and I'll fix it.


	4. Chapter Four: Learn Forgiveness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jesse develops his budding relationship with Genji, and the Shimada brothers learn something exciting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyo! Soo...I know this chapter is long overdue, and I do apologize for that. I actually had to go to the middle of this woods with a 3G hotspot and my shitty tablet to finish writing this chapter. My writer's block has been that bad. Anyways, as always, hope you enjoy!

Jesse didn’t see Hanzo for tutoring that day. He wasn’t sure why that worried him, but it did. After a few unsuccessful phone calls to his friend, he decided to call Genji. 

_“Hello?”_

“Genji, hey, have you seen Hanzo? He didn’t show up to our tutoring lesson today.” Jesse frowned, leaning against the wall as he explained the situation. There was a brief pause on the other line before he heard the other’s voice again. 

_“He has been locked up in his room since I got home from class. Do you want me to see if I can get him to call you?”_ Even Genji sounded worried to a certain degree. Jesse sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. What reason did Hanzo have to be so upset over the fact that he was dating his brother? Absolutely none, as far as Jesse could tell. It made his temper flare a bit, but he was quick to stamp it out. He shook his head. 

“Nah, let him sulk if he wants to. Do you wanna go out tonight? I’m off, for once. We could catch a movie or somethin’.” He stood back up, making his way out of the library. There was some shuffling on the other end of the line, and he almost wondered if Genji hadn’t heard his question when he finally got a reply. 

_“Sure, a movie sounds great. I’ll see you later?”_

“Yeah, I’ll pick you up ‘round six o’clock. See you then, darlin’.” Jesse hung up, barely managing to tuck his phone back into his pocket before he ran into a solid wall of flesh. Recoiling and grabbing his hat, Jesse glared at the offending obstacle. His anger quickly switched to one of shock. 

“Hey, watch where you’re-- oh, it’s just you.” Gabriel crossed his arms, tilting his head a little to the side. Jesse snorted, shaking his head. 

“Personal emergency, huh, _jefe_?” He sneered a little, poking his tongue out. When Gabe laughs, there’s no humor behind it. 

“I’m not the one who needed the day off. Jack insisted. Seems a certain cowboy went and stuck his nose where it didn’t belong, but perhaps that saved my marriage.” He clapped Jesse on the shoulder. “See you in class Thursday, McCree.” The grizzled history teacher turned and wandered off down the hall, walking with a swagger that still managed to catch Jesse’s eye. He shakes his head, turning to head off campus. Those were not the thoughts he needed to be thinking right now. 

Safely in his apartment, Jesse found himself with a couple hours to kill before he was supposed to go get Genji for their date tonight. He decided a nap was definitely in order. It wasn’t like he hadn’t slept like a babe the night before, but he was still feeling a bit sluggish. No sooner had he got in bed than he received a message. 

_Hanzo: My sincerest apologies for not showing up to our lesson today. That was...unprofessional of me. I am aware that your grade in Mr. Reyes’ class is dependent on our lessons, so I must apologize. Perhaps we could meet tomorrow to make up for it?_

_Jesse: Sure, everythin’ all right? Genji said you ain’t been out of your room since he got home._

_Hanzo: Everything is quite all right, McCree. I will see you tomorrow._

_Jesse: Well, alrighty then. If you need anythin’, you know how to reach me._

When Jesse didn’t receive a response, he plugged his phone in and rolled over, burrowing into his comforter to try and get some shut eye. 

~*~

_“I expected better of you, Jesse. You were such a bright kid. What happened,_ mi hijo _? Such potential...wasted by the bottle like your papa...”_

“Mom, no, _wait_!” Jesse sat bolt upright in bed, reaching out for the fading memory of someone he hadn’t seen since his first memories started to develop. He was trembling, fighting the tears that threatened to fall. He didn’t have any clear memories of his mother. She had passed away before he was even old enough, leaving him to his drunken father. He shivered, hugging himself tightly as he took a moment to regain his composure. He was pulled from his thoughts by his phone chiming with a message. 

_Genji: It is 6:15 and I do not see a sexy cowboy standing on my doorstep._

_Jesse: Shit, sorry darlin’. I took a nap, must’a forgot to set my alarm. Gimme ten._

_Genji: See you soon (´∀｀)♡_

_Jesse: Yep <3_

Jesse rolled his eyes at Genji’s choice of emoji. Honestly, how did the brothers manage to do that? Shaking his head, the cowboy rolled out of bed and got dressed, tugging his hat on before heading outside. He glanced at his motorcycle, biting his lip. It sure had been a while since he’d actually had a reason to ride. Everything was within walking distance of the campus, part of the reason it had been built in the middle of the little college town. However, there was a nicer theater on the edge of town, and Jesse wouldn’t mind a bit of wind in his hair to clear his thoughts. He grinned, sliding his helmet on before kicking the bike to life. He was going to have fun tonight. He was going to get his mother out of his head. Most importantly, he was going to get _Hanzo_ out of his thoughts while doing so. An easy grin sliding into place, Jesse followed the directions to Genji’s apartment.

“Somehow, I am not surprised you overslept, cowboy.” Genji tsked, opening the door for Jesse. The taller man gave a sheepish smile, shrugging a little as he stepped inside. 

“It’s a bad habit of mine, sweetpea. Better get used to my ass always bein’ tardy.” He grinned, brushing his fingers through his hair. He had the sense to leave his hat at home, seeing as people usually ended up cursing him if he wore it in the theatres. Two arms wrapped around his waist, pulling him from his thoughts as his boyfriend leaned up to press a sloppy kiss against his jaw-line. 

“As long as you show up, I do not care what time you arrive,” he murmured, running his fingers through Jesse’s hair. The cowboy hummed appreciatively, nuzzling into his touch a little. 

“Well, we got about an hour ‘till we gotta leave, wanna grab a bite to eat or somethin’?” Jesse cocked his head to the side, smiling softly. There was a soft tug to the roots of his hair, drawing his head back a little as Genji pressed a few kisses to the column of his throat. 

“There is leftover curry in the fridge that we could heat up. Stay here and chat a while before we have to leave.” Jesse felt the sly curl of his lips against his neck, and he snorted softly. 

“You are insatiable, darlin’. Didn’t you have enough when--”

“Jesse. I was not expecting you to be here.” Hanzo’s voice cut through his budding arousal like a hot knife through butter, leaving him feeling like he had just been splashed with a bucket of ice water. 

“Hey, Han. Uh, missed you at tutorin’ today...” He trailed off, awkwardly taking a step back from Genji and rubbing the back of his neck. The elder Shimada’s eyes narrowed, peering between the two of them for a moment before he snorted. 

“You told me that earlier, McCree. I already promised to make it up to you tomorrow. If you and my brother decide to do anything...unfavorable, I ask that you either do it at your apartment, or keep the noise level to a minimum.” His nose wrinkled a little, and Jesse could have sworn he felt his whole body deflate a little with the sigh of relief that he let loose. Hanzo wasn’t mad at him any more. At least, not enough to ruin their friendship. He was soon grinning widely as usual. 

“S’ppose that’s fair enough. Wouldn’t wanna keep you up or nothin’. Been told I’m quite the chatterbox.” He snickered a little, looping his arm around Genji’s waist, tugging him close. The younger of the two shrugged, giving Hanzo a look that Jesse missed. 

“He is indeed,” Genji hummed, leaning into Jesse a little. “Come on, let’s go heat up some of that curry. I am starving!” he groaned, leading him into the kitchen by his waist. 

After dinner, they were left with about thirty minutes of downtime, most of which was spent with Jesse pinning Genji against his bedroom wall as he kissed him hotly, unable to keep his hands from wandering as he melded them together. 

“If you keep that up, Jesse, I will have something better for us to do then watching movies.” Genji panted, grinding into Jesse’s thigh. He could feel how hard he was, and he was half-tempted to take him up on that offer. He settled for a compromise.

“Do you wanna go see a movie, or would you rather stay here?” he drawled, nosing along Genji’s jaw to nip a few stinging kisses into his skin.

“I would feel bad if you came all this way for us to not go to the movie...”Genji trailed off, sounding like he already knew the answer to Jesse’s question. The cowboy chuckled, sitting up to grin down at him. 

“Darlin’, I ain’t gonna be offended if you’d rather stay in tonight. Either way will make tonight a good night.” He pressed a quick kiss to Genji’s forehead before humming, reaching up to cup his cheek lightly. Genji nuzzled into his palm, turning his head to press a chaste kiss against the rough surface. 

“If it is really my choice, cowboy, than I would rather stay in tonight.” Those sinful lips curled up into a smile, and Jesse knew he was completely trapped. He might have been the one on top, so to speak, but Genji was pulling the strings from below. 

“In that case, I’m all yours, sweetpea.” He grinned, pulling him in for another heated kiss. He liked this. He could get used to this.

~*~

That night was almost a month ago. Since then, Jesse had taken Genji on a few official dates, and things were looking okay for them. There had been a couple fights, but mostly over stupid trivial stuff that they ended up apologizing for the next day. Hanzo had continued to tutor Jesse, but it wasn’t hard to tell that something was bothering him. Deeply. He looked like he was loosing sleep, with the dark circles under his eyes and they way that he seemed almost unfocused around Jesse. After their tutoring session, Jesse caught his arm. 

“Hey, Han, you can’t keep avoidin’ me, you know that, right? I know somethin’s botherin’ you, and I know it has to do with me because you keep dodgin’ me.” He frowned, not letting go of him. Hanzo stiffened, looking as if he was about to say something before he shut his mouth, shaking his head. 

“You are ridiculous. There is nothing wrong with me.” He insisted, setting his books back down on the table. At least Jesse had his attention now. 

“You look like you haven’t slept a wink in the past month and you keep avoidin’ me. We used to go get Arby’s after our sessions.” Jesse frowned, honestly feeling genuinely hurt. He wasn’t sure what he’d done wrong, but he wanted to fix it. He hated the idea that Hanzo was upset with him. 

“I am simply stressed over the midterms coming up. There is nothing to be worried about.” He looked away, trying to completely avoid Jesse. The cowboy wasn’t that easily deterred, or stupid. 

“How do you expect me to believe that? You’re the smartest guy I know, Han. And that’s sayin’ somethin’, considerin’ that used to be me.” He rubbed the back of his neck, sighing. “I don’t know what you’re hidin’, but I want you to know that you can tell me anything. I won’t judge you.” He dropped his arms, gathering up his things in silence. There was a moment of hesitation before Hanzo finally spoke again. 

“I do not believe you made a wise choice in dating my brother. I am simply concerned about your happiness, Jesse. Genji is...my brother is known for his tendencies to get around, and history is doomed to repeat itself if he hasn’t learned his lesson yet. Do be careful that you do not end up hurt, McCree.” Hanzo grabbed his books before leaving the library. Jesse was left standing, confused and unsure of what to believe. 

Before they’d met, Genji came off as a bit of a playboy. He’d believe that. Was he really the type to cheat on someone, though? Jesse couldn’t say he was a hundred percent sure either way. He didn’t seem like the type of person that would cheat on their partner. His thoughts were interrupted by his phone chiming, alerting him of a message. 

_Genji: Hey_

_Genji: Jesse_

_Genji: We need to talk._

His throat ran dry, and he started to wonder if perhaps Hanzo hadn’t been wrong. Just as he was starting to work himself up into a frenzy, he got another message.

_Genji: Do not worry, it is nothing bad._

_Genji: I realized how that might have sounded_

_Genji: Meet me at the coffee shop in twenty minutes?_

Jesse contemplated it. He had to be to work in two hours, but he supposed he’d have time to meet Genji at the coffee shop. It was only a few more blocks away from the bar. He sighed a little.

_Jesse:_ _All right, I’ll see you in twenty minutes. Had me scared for a minute there, sweetpea._

With that, Jesse gathered the rest of his things and left the library. It was a fifteen minute walk to the coffee shop, so he found himself arriving five minutes early, but that didn’t appear to matter as Genji was already there, talking to someone. Jesse frowned a little, hesitating in the window. The stranger had their hand on Genji’s shoulder, and Genji was laughing, waving his hand and saying something in reply to whatever had been said. 

Jealousy reared her ugly head within Jesse, causing him to grit his teeth, mood gone sour. He tried to calm himself, rationalizing that, if anything, he could’ve just been a really good friend of Genji’s. It wasn’t all that uncommon for him to hang off of Fahreeha like that. Still, he felt uneasy. He debated leaving for a moment, letting Genji have his fun with whomever was there. His decision was made for him as the stranger checked his watch, ruffled Genji’s hair, and left the building. He didn’t pay any attention to Jesse as he walked by. Composing himself, Jesse walked into the cafe, heading for the bar where Genji was. 

“Jesse! I am glad you could make it. I am aware you have work tonight, but I have something to tell you!” He grinned, leaning up to press a small kiss to Jesse’s cheek. Jesse hummed a little, giving him a small side hug. 

“What’s up?” He tilts his head, glancing down at Genji. He couldn’t get the image of the stranger out of his head now. Damn Hanzo for planting the seed of doubt in the first place!

“One of my father’s bodyguards is in town. Hanzo and I are going to go back home for the winter holidays!” Genj beamed, throwing his arms around Jesse’s neck and nuzzling into him. If Jesse recalled correctly, Hanzo and Genji hadn’t been able to return to Hanamura due to some political tensions in the area. He smiled, feeling happy for him despite his previous misgivings. Perhaps that man had been the bodyguard. 

“That’s great, darlin’! Happy for you.” He hugged him around the waist, pressing a kiss to the top of his head. Winter holidays were going to be coming up in just a couple short months. He would stay here, and possibly spend the holidays with Ana, Jack, and Gabe. That had been his routine for the past fifteen years of his life, he didn’t exactly see it changing anytime soon. 

“I promise to bring something nice back for you. I can’t bring you with me, Jesse, my father won’t allow foreigners to visit right now, but I will still bring you something back. Anyways, I better let you get to work.” Genji pulled him in for a kiss before detangling himself, giving a small wave to Jesse before leaving the cafe. 

Jealousy subsiding, Jesse adjusted his hat, paid for a large coffee, and left for work. He didn’t have anything to worry about. Right?


	5. Lesson Five: Ignore the Seeds of Doubt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hanzo gave Jesse a seed of doubt in regards to his relationship with Genji.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uhh I'm sorry for the long pause between chapters ^^;; I hope you enjoy this, though! There'll be another update on Friday, or my name isn't Mouse! Also, I'm really sorry this is so short orz

_The room was dark. The air that Hanzo was breathing in was hot and humid, clinging to his skin in a thin layer of perspiration. He was acutely aware of the warm, calloused hands tracing patterns on his skin, dragging down his sides and pulling him closer to the source of all the heat by his hips. Teeth clashed as slightly-chapped lips met his own in a heated kiss, almost stealing the breath right out of his lungs. Something thick moved inside of him, and he drew in a sharp breath, feeling his arms go out from under him as his partner slowly pulled out of him before thrusting back in. He keened, his back arching a little as he buried his face against a scruffy neck._

_“Easy there, darlin’. You’re bein’ so good for me, Han. Not fightin’ a bit.” Jesse’s voice soothed over his skin like honey, dripping down his spine and making him shiver as he huffed a little against his skin._

_“Jesse, I-- I can’t--”_

Hanzo gasped awake, sitting bolt upright in bed and hugging himself tightly as he started to shiver. 

_“Bein’ so good for me, Han...”_

He could still hear Jesse’s voice clear as day, and it did nothing to help his current situation. This was the second night in a row now, and the fifth or sixth time that he’d woken up from a dream like that, and all it accomplished was leaving him half-hard with a bitter taste on his tongue. Guilt. He knew that’s what it was, but he wasn’t so willing to acknowledge that fact. As far as he was concerned, he didn’t have a reason to feel guilty. Everybody had dreams like that about somebody at some point in time. It wasn’t like he could control it, either. 

“You sad, sad fool,” he sighed, pushing his fingers through his sweat-damp hair to get it out of his eyes. As he moved to get up, he was reminded once again of the effect that the cowboy had on him as he felt the tacky sensation of drying pre between his thighs. With a slight grimace, Hanzo got out of bed and gathered up some appropriate clothing for the day before heading to take a shower. 

The benefit of being an early riser was that Genji wasn’t even close to being awake yet, so he was able to avoid any awkward conversation that would surely arise due to his slight waddle in an effort to escape the sticky mess in his shorts. He never slept through those dreams long enough to finish, thankfully, but this was bad enough.

As Hanzo started his morning routine, he was mildly shocked to find that Genji had left his phone on the counter. Normally, his younger brother never let the wretched device out of his sight. Still, he would do the mature thing and leave it alone. He had nothing to gain from snooping around his little brother’s property. Even if he found something, what would--

_Bing bing bing!_

The screen flashed an obnoxious green color as a new message popped up, and Hanzo couldn’t help wandering eyes. 

_Monk dude from English: (2/2) a bit early and I could show you that pose you have been inquiring about? There is no need for a rush, little sparrow. Answer when you have time. ~Zenyatta_

_Monk dude from English: (1/2)My apologies for the early text, Genji. I recall you saying that you do not wake up early, so I hope I have not awoken you. I was just confirming your appearance this weekend. Mondatta would like to make sure that we have the room to accommodate your presence. Mayhap you could come_

_Cowboy (‘∀’●)♡: img1086.png_

Brow furrowed, Hanzo hovered over the phone, half tempted to pick it up and look through it, if only to figure out what Genji’s relationship with this ‘monk’ was. Instead, he turned his back on the device and started the shower, falling into his usual routine of washing his shame from the previous night down the drain and trying to feel like anything but a scoundrel. 

~*~

“Are you feelin’ all right, Han?” Jesse’s voice broke through the slight fog-of-distraction clouding his thoughts. He blinked for a moment, trying to process where he was before nodding, slowly. 

“Yes, my apologies, Jesse. I did not sleep very well last night.” He rubbed the back of his neck. He wasn’t lying, but he certainly was having a hard time looking Jesse in the face right now.

_‘You’re bein’ so good for me...’_

He suppressed a shiver, covering it with a small yawn before he hunches over, turning Jesse’s attention back to the book in front of them. The test for this unit was at the end of the week, and Hanzo had a good feeling that Jesse was going to be able to pull at least a low B, if not better. For whatever reason, something finally clicked in the cowboy’s head and he was understanding what Hanzo was saying.

“Does Genji have a history of cheating?” The abruptness of the question brings Hanzo to a full stop and he whips his head up to stare at Jesse, blinking confusion from his face. 

“Why do you ask?” He keeps his tone neutral, head tilting to the side a little. Genji was known to be a playboy. He had a habit of hopping from one partner to the next without a care in the world, and he _definitely_ had a penchant for one night stands. Jesse rubs the back of his neck, giving a slightly nervous laugh.

“Just...curiosity. I uh...spotted him gettin’ real friendly with someone in the cafe. Not like...kissing one another or anythin’ like that, but they seemed...close.” Jesse frowned a little at the memory, playing with the brim of his hat. Hanzo sighed a little. 

“Genji is known to sleep around. Half the girls in our old school could vouch for that. However, my brother has never once cheated on someone he was in a relationship with. I know him. He’s got a soft spot for honesty.” He wanted to put Jesse’s fears at ease even though he couldn’t even convince himself that Genji wasn’t cheating. He knows his brother wouldn’t be dumb enough to make that mistake, but that didn’t mean that there wasn’t a small chance for it to happen. For now, at least, that seemed to soothe the cowboy’s nerves a little. He grinned and nodded, hugging Hanzo tightly. 

“Thanks, Han. Anyways, the bar is calling my name and she ain’t singin’ it sweetly. I’ll see you tomorrow, darlin’.” Jesse tipped his hat as he gathered up his books and absconded.

_‘See you tomorrow, darlin’.’_

That cowboy was going to be the death of him.

~*~

The lights were pulsing in time with the upbeat music pouring from the speakers at the bar. It was ladies night, and that always meant overdone lights and music. Jesse had sprouted a mild headache sometime after the third hour and he wasn’t looking forward to the next seven. Normally, he would down some ibuprofen and some alcohol, but Devon was breathing down his neck tonight, berating him for the past several incidents. 

“Do you _want_ to get fired? ‘Cause that’s where you’re headed, McCree. If you don’t shape up, I _will_ terminate you.” His boss snarled, slamming an empty glass down on the bar before walking away. Jesse flinched a little at the noise, but he was thankful that he was being left alone for now. He could go about his usual suffering until further notice.

He was serving up a middle-aged man when a flash of familiar color caught the corner of his eye and he turned, just in time to see Genji throwing his arms around a semi-familiar kid from school. Zen-something. He knew the kid was something like a monk, but he didn’t miss the look that he gave Genji. It was something hidden, something secret, and it made his blood boil. Especially since Genji either didn’t notice it, or chose to ignore it. He remembered to loosen his grip on the glass in his hand before he shattered it. Hanzo had said there was nothing to worry about. He said that Genji wasn’t the type to cheat. He had to believe that, for Genji’s sake. Give him the benefit of the doubt. Still, he couldn’t keep his temper from spiking as the younger Shimada wrapped his hand around the monk’s and pulled him onto the dance floor.

As the night wore on, Genji grabbed more and more glasses from the passing waiters, downing them and returning them in near-regular intervals. Jesse kept feeling his jealousy spike every time Genji slung his arms around the monk and writhed against him in a form of intimate dance. 

_Give him a chance. Let him have the benefit. He wouldn’t cheat. Hanzo said he wouldn’t cheat. Don’t let your jealousy get in the way. You know he-_

“Jesse! Jesse! Hey, I didn’t realize you had to work tonight!” Genji’s slurred voice pulled him from his thoughts and he blinked, looking over at him. 

“Oh, howdy darlin’. Yeah, Devon asked me to come in tonight to cover for someone,” Jesse chuckled, pushing his fingers through his hair. Genji chuckled a little, propping his elbows up on the bar and resting his chin in his palm. The monk from earlier slides in next to Genji, and Jesse doesn’t miss the hand that goes to Genji’s shoulder. His sour mood returns in an instant. 

“Oh, Jesse! This is Zenyatta! I met him in my yoga class. Both him and his brother are monks!” Genji grins, and it breaks Jesse’s heart. How can he be mad at him for making friends? He was such a jealous asshole something. 

“Pleased to meet you, Jesse. Genji has told me so much about you.” Zenyatta’s greeting is polite and formal, and Jesse feels even worse. He gets a sheepish smile, rubbing the back of his neck. 

“Howdy. Nice to meet you too.” Jesse offers his hand, which Zenyatta takes lightly before letting go. He could feel the tension start to thicken a little, but he figured that was all on his end. “Don’t let me stop you from enjoyin’ your night, Genji! Go have fun.” He shoos them away and turns around, letting out a small puff of air. Genji was faithful. Genji was kind. He would never cheat on him. Right? 

Once glance at the two of them dancing together had him doubting himself.

~*~

Doubt is an awful thing. Miscommunication is worse. Jesse found that the guilt and doubt were taking turns eating at his conscious until he was ready to snap. His test came and went, but he was too agitated to actually pay attention to it. He wasn’t sure how he did. That night, when his phone pinged, he wasn’t even sure how to answer without sounding like an awful human being. 

_Genji: Hey_

_Genji: Date night?_

_Genji: Just you and me_

_Genji: Its been a while_

He stared at the messages, chewing on his lip a little before sighing in resignation. 

_Jesse: howdy <3_

_Jesse: Date night sounds fantastic_

_Jesse: My place?_

_Genji: I’ll be there in ten (°◡°♡).:｡_

_Jesse: ♥(ˆ⌣ˆԅ)_

Setting his phone down, Jesse pulls himself off the couch and starts cleaning up a bit. He’d figure out what they were going to do for dinner when Genji got there. Perhaps a date night would be beneficial for them both. Maybe he would get the chance to speak to Genji about Zenyatta. As he was loading the last of the dishes into the dishwasher, there was a soft knock on his door. Despite his anger, his heart jumped a little and he grinned, going to open the door. As soon as it was open, a familiar shape flung himself into Jesse’s arms, nearly bowling him over and nuzzling into him lovingly. 

“It will be so nice to have just us tonight.” Genji hums, kissing along Jesse’s jaw. The cowboy chuckles, holding him tightly and kissing his forehead. 

“It sure will.” He hums, letting him go before going to sit on the couch. Genji joins him after taking his shoes off, curling up next to him and pressing against his side. 

“What did you want to do tonight?” He looks up at him, resting his head on Jesse’s shoulders. 

“I was thinking netflix and dinner.” He murmurs, wrapping his arm loosely around Genji’s waist. “Maybe order some chinese take-out and put on Orange is the New Black?” He tilts his head, glancing down at him. There’s a small hum of contemplation from the smaller man.

“Sounds perfect.” He grins, kissing Jesse’s jaw again.

Jesse decided he was going to hold off on the Zenyatta conversation until later -- or until it became an actual problem. He could forget about his jealousy. While he ordered the food, Genji set up netflix. For the remainder of the night, the two of them cuddled and munched on wontons and fried rice and watched Orange is the New Black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed!


	6. Lesson Six: Learn How to Handle Pain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jesse's day starts off shitty and everything just goes downhill from there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Timeline? What's a timeline? I don't know what a timeline is. Nor do I know what an update schedule is lmao. Anyways, here's the next installment. I hope y'all enjoy this!

Jesse had never been in Gabriel’s office before. Usually, the cowboy made it a point to _avoid_ getting called into a professor's office. Now, he would agree that it wasn’t always a bad thing, but when said professor looked absolutely pissed, he couldn’t say he was getting a scholarship offer. A packet of white paper was slapped down onto the desk in front of him and he stared at it, at the big red ‘F’ circled at the top of the page. 

“Care to explain?” Gabe growled, sitting on the desk next to Jesse, effectively blocking his escape to the exit. He gave a nervous laugh, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. 

“Well, uh, y’see, boss, I...look, I was havin’ relationship issues. Honest to God. I thought maybe my boyfriend was cheating on me.” He admitted, glancing up at Gabe. His professor just sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose and shaking his head. 

“Jesse. You can’t allow your personal problems to get in the way of your schooling. I don’t know what’s going on in your life, and, to be quite frank, I don’t really care. The point is, you need to separate your personal life from your professional life. It won’t fly.” Gabe rested a hand on his shoulder, shaking his head slightly. Jesse ducked his head, huffing a little at being admonished. 

“Way to sound like a hypocrite, Gabe. Need I remind you what happened with Jack?” Jesse’s brow quirked a little and he looked up at him. He could tell he struck a nerve, because Gabriel closed his eyes, looking wholley irritated and like he was trying his hardest to not reach out and strangle Jesse.

“There’s a difference. I already have a job and I’m not in school. The point is, pay attention.” Gabriel lightly smacked him upside the head, shaking his head a little before he walks back around, dropping down in his desk chair. Jesse thought he looked tired, and he wondered if something else was going on. 

“Gabe, are--”

“Don’t wanna talk about it,” he groaned, rubbing the bridge of his nose before looking up at Jesse. Something in his eyes told him that it wasn’t the best idea to push things. He nodded, standing up. 

“Is there anything else you needed, _jefe_?” He tilts his head a little, hovering by the door. Gabe looked like he was about to say something but he should his head instead, waving Jesse off. The cowboy stared at him for another moment before leaving. He wondered if he should go talk to Jack about it, but realized that he would probably get the same answer from him if his suspicions were correct. As he was leaving, he got the sudden realization that he was going to have to break the news to Hanzo that he got an F. Suddenly, he was terrified of the elder Shimada. 

_Jesse: Heyyyyyy_

_Jesse: Hanzo, buddy ol’ pal_

_Jesse: Greatest tutor I’ve ever had_

_Hanzo: You failed the test._

Before Jesse could even think of how to respond, his phone chirped with a reply, and he stopped dead in his tracks. 

_Jesse: How did you know?_

_Hanzo: For one, you are not very subtle._

_Hanzo: For two, Professor Reyes already told me._

That no good son-of-a--

_Hanzo: I am extremely disappointed in you, Jesse. I am aware that my brother did some questionable things, but that should have been an easy test for you to ace. I am under the impression that you are spending more time studying Genji’s body than you are your testing material. Until you can prove to me that you actually want to pass this class, you will have to find yourself a new tutor._

Jesse frowned, re-reading the message three or four times. Is that what Hanzo thought of him? That he spent more time screwing around than studying? Sure, Jesse liked to drink and have fun, but he was acing all of his classes! He glared at his phone, thumbs hovering over the keys. 

_Jesse: i dont know where this attitude came from_

_Jesse: but it needs to stop_

_Jesse: i am passing every single one of my classes but this one_

_Jesse: i get that you probably think im stupid and below you_

_Jesse: but youre wrong_

_Jesse: youre just jealous_

_Jesse: and you know what shimada_

_Jesse: youre gonna end up alll alone if you dont pull that stick out of your ass_

With a frustrated sigh, Jesse stuffed his phone back into his pocket, muttering to himself as he made his way towards the exit. He felt his phone buzz a few times, but he ignored it. Hanzo had pissed him off with his assumptions. 

“Jesse! Hey, wait up!” Fahreeha’s voice sounded from behind him and he stopped, waiting for her to catch up. She frowned a little before punching his arm. 

“Ow, what was that for?” he whined a little, rubbing his arm.

“You failed your test, Jesse. Mom’s not to pleased with you, you know.” She frowned, looking up at Jesse. “She’s...also worried. You haven’t been over to dinner in a while, and she’s wondering if...if you’re pulling away from us for a reason, _akh._ ” There was something in the tone of her voice that brought him up short, a flash of pain striking across his features.

“No...no, I’m not-- Fahreeha, you believe me, don’t you? I’ve just been a little busy with the relationship and the stress over History...” He trailed off, realizing he was digging himself into a deeper hole with every sentence. “Look, I’ve been clean! Completely! I’ve had a couple drinks at work, but I ain’t been blackout drunk. Nor have I started doin’ any drugs again. Come on,” he pleaded, practically begging her to believe him. 

“Jesse...” she sighed, shaking her head a little, “I have to agree with my mom on this one. You’ve been acting very strange, and we’re both worried about you. If you’re honestly clean, could you put her mind to rest?”

“Fareeha, I--”

“Jesse,” she snapped, glaring up at him. He could see the hurt flashing in her eyes and he sighed. 

“Fine. I’ll take a stupid drug test if that’s what it’ll take for y’all to trust me. I thought we was family.” He shouldered his bag, pushing past her as he made his way towards the school exit. She called after him, but he ignored her. He had known the Amaris for his entire life, and he had thought that they trusted him a bit more. On his way out the door, he ran into someone, sending the papers they were holding to scatter on the ground.

“Shit, I’m sorry!” He knelt down, helping to scoop the papers up. When he looked up, he found himself staring into the face of the monk that Genji had been hanging out with. He grimaced a little. 

“No need to apologize, Jesse. It was an accident,” he chuckled, starting to put the papers back in order. Jesse had to resist the urge to slap the papers out of his hands again. He didn’t understand how the guy could be so calm and collected all the time. 

“Yeah. Uh, hey, you’re close to Genji, right?” He scratched the back of his neck, sticking his other hand in his pocket. Zenyatta blinked, tilting his head a little.

“I suppose I am. He's a fellow classmate from English and he wanted my brother and I to join him for yoga on the weekends. Why?” He adjusted the stack of papers in his arms, looking at Jesse curiously. Genji practiced yoga? That would explain the male’s flexibility. He refocused, shaking his head. 

“No reason. Just curious,” Jesse chuckled, shifting his bag as he moved to step around the monk and leave. There was a gentle hand on his shoulder, and he glanced back to Zenyatta grabbing him. 

“Jesse, Genji is just my friend. That is all,” he promised, fixing Jesse with a knowing look. The cowboy could've died from shame at being so transparent just then. He chuckles a bit awkwardly, nodding. 

“Right. Thanks.” He leaves as quickly as his feet will allow him, putting some distance between him and Zenyatta. The guy still creeped him out a little with how well he seemed to be able to read people. He found himself wandering the streets downtown, near the bar. He didn’t have to work tonight, and Hanzo had cancelled their tutoring appointment. He sighed, settling himself on a bench near the bus stop. After a moment, he pulled his phone out. 

_Hanzo: My feelings have nothing to do with your inability to pass a simple course!_

_Hanzo: All I am saying is if you spent as much time with your history book as you do slobbering over my brother’s body, you might have a chance at passing._

Jesse scoffed at the messages, reigning in the urge to throw his phone into the middle of the street and instead dropping it into his bag again. He groaned, burying his face in his hands and dragging them through his hair. Why was everyone against him?

~*~

“You told him _what_?” Genji dropped his book onto the table, a look of exasperation across his features as he stared at Hanzo.

“I told him that you are prone to cheating and that he has spent too much time _fucking_ you to pass his class.” Hanzo’s expression was one of indifference, and that pissed Genji off more than if he’d been angry. 

“Why would you tell him that? He’s my boyfriend, Hanzo. I don’t know what’s gotten into you, brother, but I’m disappointed.” He frowned, pushing his book away from him as he leaned back in his chair. He wasn’t sure if he could focus on his math homework right now anyways. 

“One, he deserves to know the truth about your dating history. It is relevant to him, now, and two, judging from the amount of times you’ve snuck out of the apartment in the God-early hours of the morning, I’d say you’ve been seeing him plenty.” Hanzo leveled Genji with his gaze, and the younger Shimada froze, eyes going wide for a moment. Hanzo knew he was sneaking out of the apartment? He’d thought he was being careful enough to not wake his brother, but perhaps the elder’s insomnia had returned. Hanzo didn’t really seem like he was getting enough sleep any more. 

“Stay out of my business, _anija_. I mean it.” Genji stood, disappearing back into his room with an angry slam of the door. He withdrew his phone from his pocket, dropping himself down on his bed with a small sigh. 

_Genji: Can you hang out tonight?_

_Genji: Hanzo’s being a total ass about everything_

_Genji: He told Jesse that I was prone to cheating, and that he’d been spending too much time with me_

_Genji: He knows I’ve been leaving the house in the early hours of the morning, but he thinks that it’s to hang out with Jesse_

Genji sends the flurry of messages before setting his phone aside and pulling out his DS to play pokemon while he waited for a response. He didn’t have to wait long. Just as he was getting ready to challenge the elite four, his phone buzzed, leaving him on the attack screen as he eagerly picked it up.

_Zenyatta: I bumped into Jesse today. He did seem upset, little sparrow. Have you tried talking to him, yet? Your brother might have a reason to believe you are cheating on Jesse, especially if he knew how much time you and I are spending together as of late..._

_Genji: Zen, you know it’s not like that_

_Genji: I’m not trying to hurt Jesse_

_Zenyatta: Then why don’t you speak to him and come clean about some of the things that have been going on?_

_Genji: Explaining to my boyfriend that I got high and tried to make out with you isn’t something I want to do_

_Genji: He’d be hurt_

_Zenyatta: And what happens if he finds out via Hanzo? Your brother is smarter than you give him credit for, Genji. You are going to have to face Jesse about this sooner or later. Would you rather it be on your terms or on your brother’s?_

_Genji: ..._

_Genji: How do I tell him that I keep coming back to you?_

_Zenyatta: You will have to figure that out for yourself, sparrow. Talk that out with Jesse._

_Genji: He will not be happy with me._

_Zenyatta: You know where I live, Genji, now quit procrastinating and go. Make things right with your boyfriend. If you love him as much as you say you do and vice versa, you will find a way to make this work._

_Genji:..... Genji: Fine_

Genji set his phone down, running a hand through his hair with an irritated sigh. The night that they had ran into Jesse at the bar, Genji had gone home with Zenyatta, who offered him a hit off of his bong at some point in the evening. He’d smoked weed a few times in high school, but perhaps that was why he hadn’t said no. He scrubbed his face, shaking the thoughts from his head before he scoops his phone back up.

_Genji: Wanna hang out?_

_Genji: I know you’re not working <3_

_Cowboy (‘∀’●)♡: Sure, darlin’_

_Cowboy (‘∀’●)♡: I’ll be there in ten minutes <3 <3_

Genji stared at his phone before plugging it in and leaving it to charge. In the meantime, he resumed his battle on the DS. By the time Jesse was knocking at his door, he’d gone through two of the four battles, but he paused his game and set it aside as Jesse placed himself next to him on the bed. 

“Hey there, sugar snap. Gotta say, mighty pleased to hear from you,” Jesse chuckled a little, leaning over to give him a chaste kiss. A fresh wave of guilt washed over Genji, and he rested a hand on Jesse’s chest, lightly pushing him back. “I have a confession to make, Jesse...” He trailed off, clearing his throat and glancing around the room. He started fidgeting, and Jesse must’ve sensed something was off, since he reached out as if to touch Genji but changed his mind half way through. 

“How long?” Jesse’s voice was colder than it had been, all traces of the honey-sweet tone gone and replaced by something hard and nigh unforgiving. As much as he longed to reach out and cling to Jesse, he refrained, pressing his hands between his knees. 

“It isn’t like that, Jesse. We haven’t even... _done_ anything. The night we ran into you at the bar, I went over to his house just to hang out, I swear. I would never intentionally harm you. I wouldn’t. I got...a little high, and between the buzz from the alcohol and the buzz from the weed I tried to kiss him. It’s my fault, and I know it is, but nothing happened.” The words left him in a rush, leaving him feeling hollow as a dull ringing started up in the base of his skull. Jesse was tensed, poised like a rattlesnake about to strike and, when he did, Genji knew it was going to hurt. He could practically see the venom in his eyes.

“So, let me ask again. How long have you been seeing him?” It was such a simple question, but Genji still found a hard time trying to answer him. He opened and closed his mouth a few times, reached out for Jesse only to be swatted away. 

“I...I’ve been going over there...almost every night. Just to hang out, Jesse! I’m not-- _dont_ give me that look! I know what Hanzo told you, but I’m not like that any more!” His hurt was replaced with anger as Jesse gave him that _look_ , the one that said he didn’t believe him. 

“No, no it’s fine, honeybee, don’t get upset. Zenyatta shouldn’t have to see you crying. That’s where you’re goin’ when I leave, ain’t it? Straight into his arms? Your brother warned me that you was like this. Did you get what you wanted from me, Genji? Perhaps you should warn the monk that you can’t ever change. Save him the trouble of dealin’ with you.” Jesse stood up, then, leaving Genji nearly paralyzed on the bed with how much Jesse’s words stung him. He could only watch as the cowboy walked out of his room, slamming the door both literally and figuratively on their relationship as he left.

_Genji: Come get me._

_Genji: Please._

He stared at his phone, unable to help the trembling as he waited for a response. 

_Zenyatta: I am on my way, little sparrow. I will text you when I have arrived._

Perhaps Genji was in shock, but he couldn’t even bring himself to cry over the dismissal of his relationship. He had never known Jesse to be so cold. 

~*~

Jesse nearly ran into Hanzo upon his exit of Genji’s room, and he muttered an apology as he brushed past him, trying to make sense of the hurt and anger that swirled inside him. 

“Jesse, wait, are you okay?” Hanzo’s voice was concerned, and he heard him shuffle up behind him, but the touch to his shoulder still startled him a little. He sighed, deflating a bit as he turned around, a slight smile on his lips. 

“You can take comfort in knowing that you were right. Your brother is a two-timin’ cheater.” He sighed, taking his hat off to push his fingers through his hair. He was a bit shaky, but he was keeping a surprisingly tight leash on his temper right now. Hanzo gave him a sympathetic look, shaking his head a little. 

“I am sorry, Jesse. Would you like to stay for a cup of tea?” He was already moving towards the kitchen and, despite Jesse’s reservations about staying in the apartment for much longer, he followed. Perhaps it was just the thought of temporary companionship that urged him to do so. 

“Sure, sounds wonderful. Thanks, Han. I know you were mad at me about my last test grade, but to be honest, my grade slipped because I was worried that something like this was going on with Genji.” He sighed, setting his hat on the table as he takes a seat. There were some shuffling noises and the sound of the faucet going before Hanzo rejoined him at the table, taking the seat across from him. 

“I let my temper slip away from me, Jesse, and for that I apologize. Especially after what just happened. I will not leave you without a tutor. Professor Reyes asked me to help you, so I will continue to do so.” He sighed a little, falling into silence as they waited for the water to boil. As the kettle started to whistle, Hanzo got up and disappeared back into the kitchen, leaving Jesse to his thoughts as he waited. Genji shuffled past at some point, keeping his head down and not looking at Jesse as he left, presumably to go to Zenyatta’s, but Jesse couldn’t find it in himself to be overly mad at him, anymore. He was just...numb. Even after Hanzo set the tea in front of him, he found he didn’t have the energy to be upset over Genji. Today had been one big shit show, but perhaps tomorrow would be better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed! I had a difficult time writing this particular chapter because I had some IRL stuff going on, but I hope this lives up to your expectations and from here we'll be going into the next arc.

**Author's Note:**

>  **Translations:**  
>  I do not speak arabic or spanish so if you see an error, please let me know!  
>  _raei albaqar_ \- Cowboy  
>  _Nino_ \- boy  
>  _Lo siento, senor_ \- Sorry, sir  
>  _Nein_ \- no  
>  _Cabron_ \- dumbass  
>  _Demasiado tarde_ \- Too late  
>  First and foremost, I have to thank [Nox](http://noxdrawstrash.tumblr.com/) for allowing me to adapt her college AU into a fic. If I hadn't found her work on Tumblr all those days ago, I would not have been inspired to write this fic. So once again, thank you Nox for giving me permission to write this! Its gonna be a blast. 
> 
> I have this fic planned out and all I can say is it's going to be a monstrous one. I'm talking upwards of 20-25 chapters at LEAST. So I hope y'all are ready to buckle into a long journey while we follow Jesse through college. 
> 
> My Tumblr: [Mo-mouse](http://mo-mouse.tumblr.com)  
> My OW Tumblr: [Elizarenot](http://elizarenot.tumblr.com)
> 
> Thank you all so much for your support with my other works, I hope I receive as much love and support on this fic as well. Comments and criticism are highly appreciated, especially if you notice mixed up tenses. Sorry for the mini novel, love you all!
> 
> ~Momouse


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